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Our economics team examines the latest statistics on employment, trade, consumer spending, the energy industry and other economic drivers to provide insight into what is happening in Alberta and where our economy is heading.
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Recent Owls
Alberta consumer spending strong in December, but way down in January
Retailers were hoping for a strong December to help make up for losses earlier in the year due to the pandemic and Alberta consumers obliged
Exports from Alberta to China improved in 2020
Today’s Owl is part three of a series on Alberta’s exports in 2020
Oil and gas exports from Alberta took a big hit in 2020
Today’s Owl is part two of a series on Alberta’s exports in 2020
Exports from Alberta contracted in 2020
Today’s Owl is part one of a series on Alberta’s exports in 2020
Mental health and the economy
The statistics highlight the economic and social costs of mental illness but they also point to the many challenges faced by the individuals and families experiencing it
Retail margins thin and getting thinner
As the sector evolves, individual retailers will have to find ways to deliver both the products and the shopping experiences consumers want and do so within tight margins
Oil production in Alberta getting back on track
Oil production in Alberta was down on a year-over-year basis from April 2020 through October 2020, but rose above 2019 levels in both November and December
New car smell weaker in 2020
In dollar terms, annual sales of new vehicles in Alberta were down by 15.5 per cent ($1.7 billion) last year
Manufacturing in Alberta ends 2020 on the rise
The sector that took the biggest hit last year in absolute terms was petroleum refineries, which saw shipments fall by $8.3 billion in 2020 compared to 2019 (-40.3 per cent)
Two different pandemics
The number of jobs in Canada that pay $30 or more per hour dipped slightly during the spring lockdown, but were 9.5 per cent higher in January 2021 than in January 2020
Things are looking up for natural gas
The latest forecast has the price of AECO-C natural gas averaging 2.15 (USD) in 2021--an increase of 28.0 per cent over 2020 and a jump of 66.3 per cent compared to 2019
Construction spending in Alberta down for sixth year in a row
Compared to the peak reached in 2014 during the oil boom, inflation-adjusted annual investment in building construction in Alberta was $11.6 billion lower in 2020
