Alberta Offering $5,000 for Skilled Workers to Move There

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith answers questions after making an announcement at a news conference in Calgary on Feb. 1, 2024. The Canadian Press/Todd Korol

If you’re a skilled tradesperson looking for employment, Alberta has 5,000 reasons why you should consider working there.

The Alberta government will offer a one-time $5,000 refundable tax credit to newcomers who move to Alberta to work in high-demand trades jobs. The government is dedicating $10 million from this year’s budget to its Alberta is Calling attraction bonus.

Alberta vocational schools are not training enough skilled tradespeople to keep up with the demand, says Jobs, Economy and Trade Minister Matt Jones.

“Skilled trades workers are key to building Alberta today and tomorrow,” Mr. Jones said during a March 12 press conference. “From homes to hospitals to schools to large-scale capital infrastructure, they are needed by the thousands.”

The new program builds on Premier Danielle Smith’s promise in 2023 to dedicate $17 million to bring in 14,000 tradespeople as well as health-care and child-care workers. Workers who qualified were to receive a $1,200 payment.

Mr. Jones said the province opted to change its plan after consulting with industry stakeholders.

“We know skilled trades is the No. 1 area we need to address the labour shortage in,” he said. “It’s literally holding up homes, hospitals, schools, and billions of dollars in job-creating petrochemical infrastructure. So that’s why you’re seeing us focus on the skilled trades.”

He added that the province determined the funding should better reflect actual moving costs.

“In doing the work behind this program we determined the average moving costs for a Canadian, say from Ontario, to relocate to Alberta was around $5,000,” he said.

The $10-million program will launch in April and will be limited to 2,000 workers. Funding will be doled out on a first-come, first-served basis.

He said the Alberta is Calling program is open to revision and could be changed in the future to again include health-care and child-care workers.

The program, which was first announced by former Premier Jason Kenney in 2022, was initially used to convince Canadians living in Toronto and Vancouver to relocate to Alberta.

Life in Alberta

The Alberta is Calling website offers up a plenty of information about what life is like in the province.

It describes the province as having low taxes, high wages, and affordable housing.

“Alberta has some of the lowest housing prices and rental costs among Canadian Urban centres,” the website reads. “Combined with high incomes and low taxes, a smaller share of your income is spent on housing—31 percent in Edmonton and 42 percent in Calgary versus the Canadian average of 63 percent.”

The average detached house sells for $460,000 in Edmonton and $679,000 in Calgary while average condo prices come in at $187,000 and $281,000 respectively.

Albertans also shell out less in overall taxes compared to other provinces, according to the website. For instance, a couple earning $75,000 with two children would pay $1,500 more in B.C. and $3,900 more in Ontario, the site says.

There is also no HST or PST and no payroll tax or health premium.

The site offers a sign up template for those looking for updates or more information on the program.