Entry Level Jobs Category is Hot in the City of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta has one of the hottest economies in North America, primarily because of the high oil prices. Alberta has huge oil reserves, often estimated as exceeding those of Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately for those in Calgary and other cities in Alberta, the oil in Alberta is far more difficult and costly to extract than the oil in Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, as the price of oil rises, the extraction of that oil becomes more economical.
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So what does the price of oil have to do with the entry level job market category in the City of Calgary? Everything. While many of the oil industry jobs are highly skilled, many are not. Yet virtually all are paying extremely well right now in and around Calgary and that wage inflation has driven many entry level job holders to leave their positions in fast food restaurants, retailers, and other employers to try their luck working in the nearby oil fields. Supply and demand is driving those restaurants, retailers, and other employers to increase what they're paying to entry level job seekers. Paying a fast food worker $6 per hour just doesn't cut it anymore in Calgary. Restaurants and retailers are closing their doors or restricting their hours because they're not able to hire enough entry level workers.
In fact, according to the 2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, the average hourly wage in Alberta increased to $21.39 in 2005 — an 8 percent increase over the hourly wage in 2003. According to the survey, welders and machine operators earned on average more than $25 an hour last year, while heavy equipment operators earned an average of about $24 per hour. Just two years before, the averages for those jobs were $22.42 and $19.53 per hour, respectively. |
Despite these rapidly escalating wage numbers, there is still a huge demand for new employees in the oil and gas industries near the City of Calgary and many of those job openings are for entry level employees. For example, estimated job vacancy rates are 13.2 percent for structural metal and plate workers and 9.7 percent for oil and gas drilling.
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