How tariffs are reshaping hiring in Alberta's skilled trades.

New CAF-FCA research reveals how tariffs and trade disruptions are affecting Alberta's skilled trades labour market, and what would help most.

See key findings Read the reports

419 employers surveyed · 511 tradespeople surveyed · Conducted by Ipsos for CAF-FCA

Key findings

The skilled trades labour market is strong, but facing growing pressure.

Both employers and tradespeople are broadly optimistic, and expect next year to improve more than worsen. But tariffs, rising costs, and labour market challenges are adding real pressure. Here's what the research found.

66%

Employers feeling the impact

Two-thirds of Alberta employers say they've been negatively impacted by tariffs and the trade dispute with the U.S.

83%

Rising costs lead the way

More than eight in ten employers report increased costs, the single most common impact reported.

31%

Hiring plans pulled back

Three in ten employers have cancelled or reduced plans to hire new tradespeople in the past year.

37%

Tradespeople weighing their options

Nearly four in ten tradespeople say they're likely to leave the trades in the next year for work in another sector.

Source: Hiring, Mobility and Needed Supports: Alberta Employers and Tradespeople Share Their Perspectives, CAF-FCA / Ipsos, 2026.

The mobility gap

Bringing in talent from out of province is hard.

Six in ten employers who hire from outside Alberta find it challenging. When asked what makes it difficult, the top barriers relate to having confidence in what a worker can actually do.

Getting prior education and training recognized

44%

Inconsistent licensing and certification recognition

40%

Understanding what a worker can safely do on-the-job

37%

A support that can help

When budgets are tight, getting the right hire matters more than ever.

The research points to a clear need: a simpler, more reliable way to match skills to the job, measured against the Red Seal. That's what SkillsCheck does, cutting the guesswork on both sides of hiring and presenting skills in terms the trades already understand.

For employers