North American, British employers looking at Calgary positively

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Each employers and staff are more and more seeing Calgary as a spot to arrange store and develop their enterprise, based on a survey by Calgary Financial Improvement (CED).

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With a give attention to the rising know-how sector, the event company launched outcomes from its newest survey that scanned enterprise leaders and employees from 10 markets throughout Canada, the US and England with outcomes exhibiting that folks view Calgary optimistically as a spot to stay and to work.

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The survey, which consisted of 1,875 respondents, discovered 90 per cent of enterprise leaders have a constructive impression of Calgary and 74 per cent stated they consider Alberta’s largest metropolis is shortly changing into a hub for know-how and innovation. In the meantime, 75 per cent stated they consider Calgary is healthier for doing enterprise than different markets and 55 per cent would take into account shifting or increasing to the Bow Valley city centre.

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‘It is extra than simply the standard of life’

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Brad Parry, president and CEO of CED, stated every of those metrics rose year-over-year from its 2021 survey, arguing that the outcomes present the message spreading that Calgary is not a one-industry metropolis , bear fruit.

“Nevertheless, we predict folks understand that it is extra than simply the standard of life – there’s unbelievable work being achieved in our sectors,” Parry stated. “Now we have the expertise locally and now it is beginning to develop, folks do not have to go away the town to develop their companies.”

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Parry stated the price of doing enterprise is decrease in Calgary than in different Canadian cities and that there’s entry to capital for enterprise homeowners to benefit from in Calgary.

Calgary’s know-how sector specifically has grown as {industry} leaders and policymakers have pushed to develop the financial system past oil and fuel. Enterprise capital investments within the metropolis have grown yr after yr as main gamers within the sector, akin to Amazon, put money into the area. This week, Garmin introduced a serious growth in Cochrane, west of Calgary.

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A big a part of the respondents take into account Calgary as a spot to construct their profession

Parry stated outcomes additionally present employees are additionally beginning to have a extra constructive outlook on the town, with 58 per cent of respondents saying they see Calgary as a spot to construct a profession and 72 per cent having an general constructive impression of the town.

“Our analysis has traditionally proven, particularly on expertise, that they have been a little bit reluctant to return to Calgary as a result of they did not suppose the alternatives had been right here. They did not suppose the roles had been right here,” Parry stated. “Now we’ve got been capable of change that narrative and other people can see the chance that has offered itself and that we’ve got a range of financial system.”

At an unrelated occasion Tuesday, Calgary Chamber of Commerce President Deborah Yedlin laid out a platform for policymakers to observe to develop Calgary’s financial system, with one of many planks being financial diversification.

“If we will proceed to be a metropolis that could be a magnet for expertise and alternative, then we will additionally enhance our funding, which is sweet for the tax base. It’s good for employment. It is good for financial diversification,” Yedlin stated.

— With information from Josh Aldrich

dshort@postmedia.com