Alberta wants to know if Quebecers love them. Its government is trying to figure out why the residents of the Belle Province rarely apply for work in the province, considering the sea of employment opportunities waiting for them. It has recently launched an inquiry of the market to find out why it is that Quebecers aren’t moving out west.
Alberta says it has plenty of jobs to fill, mainly in the oil industry but also in such fields as construction and mining. The job-hungry province counts on a global workforce. However, most workers come from other Canadian provinces, notably from the Atlantic region. Significantly missing from the list: Quebec employees.
The research mainly asks whether the low number of Quebec applicants is due to potentially low levels of appropriate skills. It also looks to analyze whether possible employees could be persuaded to fill the numerous vacant positions available in Alberta.
Furthermore, the province’s survey looks to see whether Quebecers have a negative impression of Alberta.
Despite this market research, recent Statistics Canada figures show that the number of people moving from Quebec to Alberta has actually doubled over the past two years. According to CBC News, employment centers in Alberta are seeing increases in the number of outer-province clients they are helping. One such center, Acces Emploi in Edmonton, says it is dealing with 15 to 20 per cent more French-speaking newcomers today than in 2011.
The government of Alberta, however, notes it will continue to prioritize employment for Albertans first.