Where Alberta's New Jobs Are Coming From (It's Not Just Oil and Gas)
November 10, 2026
Ask most people where Calgary's jobs come from and you will hear one answer: energy. But when you look at where Alberta has actually been adding work in recent years, the picture is broader, and it matters if you are searching for a job right now.
Analysis from the Business Council of Alberta found that employment in the province grew faster than the national average between 2022 and 2025, and that growth beat the national rate in 14 of 18 industry categories it looked at. Oil and gas employment, meanwhile, stayed relatively flat even as production rose, because companies got more productive.
Here is where the growth has been.
Health care
Health care employment is up about 15% since 2022, compared with about 9% nationally. Hospitals added the most jobs, and home health care and practitioner offices also grew. These roles are not all nurses and doctors. Hospitals and clinics also hire for administration, scheduling, records, cleaning, food service, IT and supply chain.
Construction
Construction is up about 10% since 2022, roughly double the national pace, and most of it is residential. Industrial construction tied to energy, mining and pipelines has also grown sharply. If you have trades experience, estimating, project coordination or site safety skills, this is one of the most active areas.
Child care
Child day-care services have grown by about 46% since 2022, adding more than 7,000 jobs in three years. The growth follows a surge in demand from young families and lower child care fees under the federal and provincial agreement. Early childhood educators and centre staff are in demand.
Manufacturing and business services
Manufacturing is up about 6%, or roughly 7,000 jobs, while it stayed flat nationally. Business support services, including payroll and administrative work, also grew strongly.
Why it is happening
The biggest driver is people. Alberta's population has grown by about 11% since 2022, the fastest of any province. More people means more demand for homes, health care, child care, financial services, retail and everything else that supports a growing city.
A fair caveat
Employment figures come from different sources that do not always agree. The Labour Force Survey is a household survey and can overstate growth. Payroll records show smaller gains, though they leave out self-employed workers. Both show Alberta ahead of the national average, but treat any single number as an estimate. Job growth over several years also does not guarantee openings today, and the monthly numbers move around.
What it means for your job search
Look beyond the obvious industry. If you have been searching only for energy roles, try health care, construction, child care and administration too.
Check the skills, not the title. Planning, budgeting, safety, scheduling and customer service carry across fields. Our guide to changing careers in Calgary covers how to show it.
Use training to fill gaps. The Training section on YYC Jobs lists programs that lead into growing fields.
Compare pay before you apply. Use the Pay Calculator to see what an offer means after tax.
Browse the latest Calgary openings on YYC Jobs, filter by category, and set up an email alert so new roles in the fields that are hiring come straight to you.
Source: Business Council of Alberta, "Alberta job growth drivers" (Labour Force Survey and Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours data, 2022 to 2025).