Calgary’s Labour Market Sees Steady Growth Despite Unchanged Unemployment Rate
- Clearview Insider
- Jun 18
- 1 min read
The Calgary Economic Region posted an 8.1 per cent unemployment rate in May—unchanged from the same month last year. While the rate has held steady, the region’s labour force expanded by 3.2 per cent year-over-year, matched by equal growth in employment. The labour force participation rate rose slightly to 69.9 per cent.
Between May 2024 and May 2025, Calgary added 32,000 jobs, with nearly all of those gains in full-time positions. The strongest growth occurred in construction (+9,600), health care and social assistance (+7,900), and retail trade (+22,000).
Despite job gains, Calgary continues to record one of the highest unemployment rates among Canada’s major cities, sitting above Vancouver, Ottawa-Gatineau and Montréal.
Wage pressures remain a key challenge. Between 2022 and 2024, Calgary’s inflation rate reached 14.4 per cent, while average weekly wages rose by only 11 per cent. In sectors like education and postal services, the gap is even greater, underscoring the ongoing wage stagnation in high-demand fields.
Source: City of Calgary Labour Market Review – May 2025. Published June 6, 2025. Available at www.calgary.ca/economy.
Connect with Clearview: Interested in how Calgary’s labour trends intersect with commercial space demand and business expansion? Contact our team at info@cvpartners.ca or visit www.cvpartners.ca to learn more.