Quote:
Originally Posted by crazy_eoj
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Are you going to respond to my question from yesterday where I provided data that shows positive GDP growth in Edmonton year-to-year after you claimed the economy is shrinking - period?
You also conveniently forgot this paragraph from this same link:
Slower activity in both residential and non-residential construction is now beginning to impact employment in the region. Unfortunately recent building permit data indicate the construction sector will remain sluggish over the coming months. Despite the month-over-month decline in February 2019, the level of full-time employment in the Edmonton region was still higher on a year-over-year basis. Growth in average weekly wages continues to build momentum, picking up to a respectable 2.2 per cent on a year–over-year basis in February 2019. With consumerbased inflation expected to slowly rise to the two per cent range in the coming months in the Edmonton region, this means the average employed person will see modest gains in their real spending power, which could sustain consumer spending in 2019.
For the first half of 2019, employment in Edmonton should see renewed growth in the manufacturing, health care and education sectors. However, the unemployment rate is unlikely to move much lower than 6.5 per cent as individuals who were discouraged by less favourable employment conditions in early 2018 return to the active labour force. As well, with Edmonton’s unemployment rate still slightly below the provincial average, migration into Edmonton from other parts of Alberta should increase, boosting the growth rate of the working age population and active labour force.
Growth in the working-age population, up by 1.9 per cent from February 2018 to February 2019, will be a key factor in addressing labour and skill shortages that may emerge in Edmonton as the local economy continues to recover and the labour market tightens.
I wonder how much that has to do with the Ice District - Edmonton's largest project wrapping up.