Alberta is booming. With the province's unemployment rate at 3.6% and Calgary's at an all-time low of just 3.1% (July 05), there are currently more job opportunities than there are people to fill them!

The figures clearly support the anecdotal evidence of the labour crisis in Alberta.

• A survey in August by Merit Contractors Association found that 66% of the 581 firms it surveyed were having trouble filling positions, up from 54% in January.
• In the last Canadian Federation of Independent Business member survey, more that 60% of the organization's membership cited worker shortages as an issue, the highest level ever, and the highest of any province in Canada.
• In 2004, the Canada West Foundation reported critical labour shortages affect 65 industries in Alberta and shortages will likely continue to increase.
• According to the Alberta Regional Occupation Outlook; 2005 - 2010 report by Alberta Human Resources and Development, employment in the province grew by more than 470,200 jobs over the past ten years.
• The Alberta government is predicting a shortfall of 100,000 workers over the next decade - a situation that threatens the $107 billion in expected capital projects.

The oil and gas industry is suffering a critical shortage of workers which in turn is causing production delays and postponement or abandonment of multi-million dollar projects.