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Alberta had the best web interprovincial migration of any Canadian province on the finish of 2022 because the nation studies file inhabitants progress.
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Statistics Canada says the nation’s inhabitants will develop by a couple of million individuals in 2022 — probably the most recorded in a 12-month interval in Canadian historical past. Worldwide migration accounted for 95.9 p.c of that progress.
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In keeping with Statistics Canada, Alberta’s inhabitants grew by simply over 160,000 individuals final yr.
Within the fourth quarter of 2022, Alberta recorded a web progress of practically 29,680 worldwide migrants and 11,534 interprovincial migrants. The general inhabitants progress of 45,864 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 represents a quarterly progress of 1 p.c, the best among the many provinces and territories, mentioned Anupam Das, an economics professor at Mount Royal College.
“Seventy-two p.c is worldwide migration, whereas 28 p.c is interprovincial migration to Alberta,” Das mentioned Wednesday. “The vast majority of this inhabitants progress is pushed by worldwide migrants.”
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Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Alberta has welcomed greater than 26,000 Ukrainian newcomers, with hundreds extra anticipated to reach within the coming months.
A number of thousand Afghan refugees have additionally settled in Alberta for the reason that summer season of 2021, Das mentioned.
Alberta is recruiting extra employees to the province
The up to date knowledge comes per week after the Alberta authorities introduced the second part of its Alberta is Calling marketing campaign.
Jobs, Economic system and Northern Improvement Minister Brian Jean introduced final week that the $5-million marketing campaign will goal employees from northern and southwestern Ontario and the Maritimes. The primary iteration of the marketing campaign, launched final summer season, centered on employees in Toronto and Vancouver.
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Premier Danielle Smith boasted the fourth quarter knowledge on Twitter.
“Alberta has executed it once more,” she mentioned. “Extra Canadians are selecting our province as their new house. The Alberta Benefit just isn’t solely again, it is thriving.”
Alberta’s inhabitants stands at 4.6 million getting into 2023.
Das mentioned the inhabitants progress may benefit the province’s economic system.
“It may be thought-about an excellent factor for Alberta’s economic system that we obtain extra individuals into our province than we go away,” mentioned Das. “We all know the labor market is tight and there’s a labor scarcity. Hopefully this inward motion of individuals will assist resolve a few of these shortages.”
Serving to newcomers important, says skilled
Dr. Pallavi Banerjee, an affiliate professor of sociology on the College of Calgary, mentioned Alberta, and Calgary particularly, has a powerful community serving immigrants and refugees.
“These organizations have management and workers which might be fully dedicated and dedicated to creating Alberta welcoming to newcomers,” Banerjee mentioned in a press release to Postmedia. “I feel these organizations want a whole lot of assist within the type of elevated funding and assets from each the province and the federal authorities.”
To accommodate the inflow of newcomers, Alberta should additionally give attention to reasonably priced housing, job coaching, youth programming and investments geared toward making the province a safer place for racialized and queer migrants, she defined.
sbabych@postmedia.com
