Edmonton, Alberta—To address the labour shortages in the province, the Alberta government hopes to knock down employment barriers with the passing of Bill 49, the Labour Mobility Act. If passed, skilled professionals will have an easier time moving to Alberta, with fewer barriers to interprovincial trade and mobility.
“Alberta’s economy is coming back stronger than ever, but we need to have enough workers to make that happen. The Labour Mobility Act will help make Alberta a magnet for skilled professionals by making it easier for them to come to our province and have their credentials recognized. If passed, this bill will lead to more jobs, a stronger workforce and a faster economic recovery,” said Jason Kenney, premier of Alberta.
If passed, the Labour Mobility Act would:
- Mandate regulatory bodies recognize credentials issued by other provinces for professions with the same work scope
- Set a 40-day timeline for those agencies to approve and notify an applicant they can work in Alberta
- Mandate regulatory authorities create a review and appeal process with reasonable timeframes
“Now more than ever, we need to remove barriers that prevent the free flow of Canadian talent from bringing their skills and their businesses to Alberta. This announcement is a key part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, designed to recruit skilled Canadian certified workers to our province to support economic growth and create jobs that benefit future generations of Albertans,” said Tyler Shandro, Alberta’s Minister of Labour and Immigration.
The act will also apply to more than 100 regulated occupations in Alberta, such as optometrists, engineers, dentists, accountants, and skilled trades.
According to a 2020 C.D Howe Institute report, improving labour mobility could add approximately $2.8 billion per year to Alberta’s GDP.