Challenging the perception of Alberta

[grassfarmer]

Found this interesting:

[URL="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-oil-gas-economy-diversification-employment-alberta-1.3349865"]http://http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-oil-gas-economy-diversification-employment-alberta-1.3349865[/URL]

Take away:

Only 7% of Albertans work in oil and gas sector.
Alberta has the most diverse workforce/jobs in the country.
Unemployment rate is below the national average.
# of new job vacancies relative to the number of workers who are unemployed is better than the national average.

[stonepicker]

So... are you admitting that you and others were wrong about alta. being a one industry province? Or are you inferring that the new ndp gov. has miraculously transformed alta into a thriving economic engine? ( which it always has been:Re: 100's of billions paid in transfer pmts.)

[boarderbloke]

that's because this NDP gov't has added 47,000 new government workers! Read the news please.

[boarderbloke]

meant for grassy

[grassfarmer]

So... are you admitting that you and others were wrong about alta. being a one industry province? Or are you inferring that the new ndp gov. has miraculously transformed alta into a thriving economic engine? ( which it always has been:Re: 100's of billions paid in transfer pmts.)

Just challenging the common perception that many have about AB that it's all about oil and that is where everyone works. Nothing to do with the NDP.

that's because this NDP gov't has added 47,000 new government workers! Read the news please.

Maybe you should read the article and explain to me where the alleged 47,000 new Government workers appear and how that number, if it is true, knocks oil and gas out of the top spot as main employer?

Here are the figures from the article to make it simple for you (how many people work in the top 10 sectors of Alberta's economy)

Construction: 256,000
Health care: 241,000
Retail trade: 234,000
Professional scientific and technical services: 184,000
Oil and gas and mining: 175,000
Accommodation and food services: 150,000
Manufacturing: 145,000
Transportation and warehousing: 130,000
Education: 125,000
Other services: 122,000

[hobbyfrmr]

The article seems to contrast the most recent message I heard.
I had an old school friend drop in yesterday. He has been making his living in Calgary for 15 years. He is a bit of an exaggerator but he painted a very bleak picture. He works at an industrial retailer similar to Acklands. Several of his very large oil customers have dropped purchases 85%. The slowdown in oil is really hurting. Oil workers making $200,00/year were spending $250,00. The employment insurance has run out, they have sold all their stuff and toys. His city cop friend says domestic diputes are rampant. Suicide rate is climbing, " they are killing themselves like its a sport"! People are turning in their house keys. Shelters are full. The carbon tax is going to be the last straw. Oil companies are moving head offices to Ontario so their corporate income tax is not also carbon taxed.

I suspect there is a lot of BS to factor in those descriptions but it sounded terrible. I almost felt good about being the burden on taxpayers farmer!

Naturally he is blaming Notely and Trudeau.

I asked him what he was doing about the situation. He says he never overleveraged himself because cost of living, house/car takes a lot of his salary.

I told him to go on kijiji and find all those good new toys for steep dicounts and "treat" himself to one!

[Guest]

I don't buy it either, Google gdp of alta 10 years ago and now ? that tells the true tale . most of these other industries were living off the patch . not so much anymore . same as the leach /pricks milking Ag for all they can get . it's going to come to an end also

[mcfarms]

Its a red herring article,the jobs quoted are all trickle down jobs. Without the krill the whales will die. A service economy is a false econmy as it is merely passing the money around in a circle no new wealth is being created.
Kill oil and gas, kill agriculture kill mining and forestry and see how many construction and retail and service sector jobs follow.

[grassfarmer]

Oh I'm not denying there are casualties and a lot of those in oil and gas are hurting. Point is oil and gas aren't as big a segment of the AB economy as those in that industry would have you believe.

I did google AB GDP and see that total GDP in 1985 was $67.6 billion of which 36.1% came from oil and gas. 2015 GDP was $331 billion of which oil and gas accounted for only 18.3%.
The decline in % of oil and gas contribution to Alberta's GDP through that period was faster than agriculture's !!

Undoubtedly the oil price collapse will have a knock on effect on other industries like house building etc but there is way more diversity in the AB economy than there was in 1985 and that's good news.

[sumdumguy]

Yep, any Albertan will tell you that the engine is sputtering. Statistics can be massaged and manipulated to say whatever one wants. Notley is walking a tightrope just like a lot of farmers. SK is not far behind, bet Wall would like the money back that he wasted on carbon capture and stadium.

[WiltonRanch]

Alberta is flatter than piss on a plate. Anyone who says otherwise is retarded or has their head shoved so far up their ass. Went to bc for a holiday, first time there. Lots of real estate for sale and unfinished houses through the valley through Kimberley to invermere. Was a lot of Alberta people coming in and building but now a lot hasn't moved for over a year. I don't foresee it getting better because if oil stays in the 40 to 60 range probably half isn't worth producing. $100+ oil caused a virtual gold rush which encouraged an influx of people for which there are no jobs now. My home city of lloydminster was hovering at 19% unemployment. Over 6000 people have left the city. Another point to consider how many out of province residents lost their Alberta jobs and are at home collecting pogie. We haven't seen the worst of it. When the foreigners start moving out you will know it's bad.

[boarderbloke]

http://www.therebel.media/statscan_alberta_ndp_adds_47_000_government_jobs

[helmsdale]

Hobby, of course it doesnt match the most recent messages youve been hearing out of alberta. The article was written DECEMBER 2015! While the diversity of the labour market info is still relevant, the labour, and in particular the unemployment rate is not. AB currently stands at 7.9%, a full 1% and then some above the national avg.

If you want to see the extent of the downturn, check out http://economicdashboard.alberta.ca and click on each indicator for a full breakdown or multi year comparison.

[WiltonRanch]

Yep, any Albertan will tell you that the engine is sputtering. Statistics can be massaged and manipulated to say whatever one wants. Notley is walking a tightrope just like a lot of farmers. SK is not far behind, bet Wall would like the money back that he wasted on carbon capture and stadium.

Dont kick carbon capture in the nuts until you learn about its potential for increased secondary oil recovery. That said though was it a govt boondoggle? You bet! Would of been better and cheaper to give Husky an incentive to develop their co2 projects. That football stadium what a flipping waste. I'm biased though cause I could care less about football. Put it into roads, education, social services. Put taxes to where they're meant to go.

[mcfarms]

Last year I bought some rebar for a project 9.85 for a piece, bought some week a ago from UFA for 5.95.

Rebar is a surprisingly good indication of the health of an economy.