Sectors & Trends

The sectors building Central Alberta.

A consolidated view of the region's economic sectors and the business-trends signals - expansions, investment, hiring waves - that move quarter to quarter.

Alberta Regional Dashboard Read BREWD reports

253,551 People employed

5.8% Unemployment rate

67.8% Participation rate

The regional picture

Central Alberta, by the numbers.

Region-wide figures from the Central Alberta Economic Report, published by the Central Alberta Economic Partnership. Everything on this page is as at June 2026.

253,551

People employed

199,687 full-time, 53,864 part-time

5.8%

Unemployment rate

5.9% a year ago

67.8%

Participation rate

Share of working-age people in the labour force

−665

Jobs year over year

Against June 2025

Employment, month by month

Full-time and part-time, last 13 months.

Full-time Part-time

Unemployment rate

5.9% in June 2025, 5.8% in June 2026.

Participation rate

Priority sectors

Where the work is.

01/08

Energy & utilities

Upstream, midstream, petrochemical (Joffre) and renewables.

02/08

Agriculture & agri-food

Primary production, value-add processing, ag-tech.

03/08

Healthcare

Anchored by Red Deer Regional Hospital and 10 community campuses.

04/08

Skilled trades

Construction, mechanical, welding - the region's perennial top demand.

05/08

Logistics & transport

QE2 corridor distribution and CN/CP rail intermodal.

06/08

Manufacturing

Steel fabrication, plastics, food processing.

07/08

Tech & innovation

Software, applied AI, ag-tech and energy-tech.

08/08

Education & training

Red Deer Polytechnic, Olds College, Burman University, Campus Alberta Central and the K–12 system.

Employment by industry

Where people actually work.

Every industry in the region, by number of employees, June 2026. Services account for 181,865 jobs and goods-producing industries for 71,033.

Health care and social assistance35,058
Wholesale and retail trade33,825
Construction25,560
Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas22,949
Accommodation and food services21,451
Educational services18,988
Manufacturing15,566
Other services (except public administration)13,291
Professional, scientific and technical services12,604
Public administration10,511
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing9,901
Transportation and warehousing9,839
Business, building and other support services8,769
Information, culture and recreation7,628
Agriculture6,958

Goods and services

Central Alberta is often described as a resource economy, but roughly 72% of jobs here are in services.

Services 181,865

Goods-producing 71,033

Health care is the single largest employer in the region, ahead of retail and construction.

The workforce

What people do, and how far they travel.

By occupation

Share of the regional workforce.

Sales and service23.0%
Trades, transport and equipment operators21.1%
Business, finance and administration13.6%
Natural resources and agriculture10.2%
Education, law, social and government services9.4%
Health8.4%
Manufacturing and utilities4.7%
Natural and applied sciences4.2%
Not applicable2.9%
Art, culture, recreation and sport1.7%

Getting to work

Commute time, one way.

Less than 15 minutes43.9%
15 to 29 minutes30.9%
30 to 44 minutes13.0%
45 to 59 minutes4.9%
60 minutes and over7.3%

74.8%

of people in Central Alberta are at work within half an hour of leaving home.

Business trends

What we're watching.

Jobs gained and lost across the region, month by month, to June 2026.

Jobs added and lost

Gained Lost

−787

Net over the 13 months

+3,024

Best month, January 2026

−5,038

Weakest, March 2026

What's driving it

“Employment has seen a decline over the year, highlighting some challenges in the job market.”

Industries moving the number

Construction
Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas
Accommodation and food services
Health care and social assistance
Wholesale and retail trade

Median age in Central Alberta - a working-age region, not a retiring one.

Also on our radar

Regional developments we are tracking alongside the published figures.

Petrochemical expansions

Joffre cluster announces phase capacity additions - local hiring ramps into 2026.

Healthcare workforce

Continued shortage in RN, RT and allied health - international recruitment under way.

Ag-tech investment

Olds College Smart Farm pulling private R&D dollars into the region.

Housing activity

Residential permit activity across Red Deer and Blackfalds.

Tradesperson demand

Welders, electricians and HD mechanics top the regional vacancy list.

Tourism rebound

Sylvan Lake summer occupancy returning to pre-2019 highs.

Industry networks

Sector councils.

Industry associations representing construction, manufacturing, tourism and real estate across Central Alberta.

Building Industry and Land Development (BILD)

The industry-wide voice and coordination hub for residential construction and land development - representing builders, developers, renovators, trades, suppliers and consultants across the region.

Visit site

Red Deer Construction Association (RDCA)

Regional association for commercial and industrial construction - tendering, training and industry advocacy for member contractors.

Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC)

A national manufacturing consortium and peer-to-peer learning network delivering programs, labour market insight, training and operational best practices to improve productivity and competitiveness.

Visit site