Editing Alberta (section)

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Alberta}}
[[Economy of Alberta|Alberta's economy]] is [[Advanced economies|advanced]], [[Open economy|open]], [[Market economy|market]]-based, and characterized by a highly educated workforce, strong institutions and property rights, and sophisticated financial markets. While most Albertans work in the service sector, Alberta does possess a significant industrial base, intelligence economy and energy sector. This energy sector is famously focused in oil and gas extraction. Oil and gas has been culturally influential, having shaped politics, generated "striking it rich" narratives, and created boom-and-bust cycles.<ref name=":6" /> 

The majority of Alberta's exports are sent to the United States, and consist of 70% oil and gas, 13% food products, and 12% industrial products.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> 

In 2023, Alberta's output was $350 billion, 15% of Canada's GDP.<ref name=":7" /> 

Before European contact, Indigenous peoples maintained wide trade networks across Alberta. Then, the [[fur trade]], dominated by the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] and the [[North West Company]] became the region's first major export economy in the 18th and 19th centuries. Following the transfer of [[Rupert's Land]] to Canada in 1870, Alberta's economy transitioned to agriculture and ranching. The completion of the [[Canadian Pacific Railway Company|Canadian Pacific Railway]] in the 1880s facilitated large-scale settlement and grain exports, particularly wheat, establishing agriculture as the province's new economic backbone. A major shift came in 1947 with the discovery of oil near Leduc, launching Alberta’s rise as Canada’s top oil producer. While oil brought prosperity, the 1980s,  2008 and 2014 saw economic setbacks due to price crashes. Since then, Alberta has worked to diversify its economy, expanding into technology, renewable energy, tourism, and finance to reduce its dependence on oil.

=== Primary sector ===
[[File:Cows in the Foothills - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Cows in [[Rocky View County|Rocky View]]. Nearly one-half of Canadian beef is produced here.]]
Agriculture employed 35,900 people in 2021, representing roughly 2% of provincial employment. Out of them, 19,500 were employed in animal production, 11,800 were employed in crop production, 2,000 were employed in mix farming and 2,600 in support activities or agriculture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Agriculture - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-agriculture |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>

The province has over three million head of cattle,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/rsb13754 |title=Alberta Livestock Inspections – October 2011 |date=November 24, 2011 |publisher=Government of Alberta |access-date=December 13, 2011 |archive-date=January 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128130424/http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/rsb13754 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Alberta beef has a healthy worldwide market. Forty percent of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Alberta's grasslands are the perfect place to raise cattle |url=https://www.cbc.ca/2017/we-are-the-best/why-alberta-s-grasslands-are-the-perfect-place-to-raise-cattle-1.4156953 |website=CBC News |access-date=June 4, 2024 |archive-date=June 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604013920/https://www.cbc.ca/2017/we-are-the-best/why-alberta-s-grasslands-are-the-perfect-place-to-raise-cattle-1.4156953 |url-status=live }}</ref> The province also produces the most [[American bison|bison]] meat in Canada.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bison ranching in Alberta: a lifestyle, not a job |url=https://www.cbc.ca/2017/we-are-the-best/bison-ranching-in-alberta-a-lifestyle-not-a-job-1.4222112 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |access-date=June 4, 2024 |archive-date=June 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604013929/https://www.cbc.ca/2017/we-are-the-best/bison-ranching-in-alberta-a-lifestyle-not-a-job-1.4222112 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sheep for wool and mutton are also raised.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sheep and lamb |date=April 2021 |url=https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/animal-industry/red-meat-and-livestock-market-information/sheep-and-lamb |publisher=[[Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada]] |access-date=June 4, 2024 |archive-date=June 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604013929/https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/animal-industry/red-meat-and-livestock-market-information/sheep-and-lamb |url-status=live }}</ref>

Wheat and [[canola]]<ref name="Canola">
{{Unbulleted list citebundle
 |{{*}} {{cite journal |date=2014 |volume=36 |issue=sup1 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] ([[Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada]]) |journal=[[Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology]] |issn=0706-0661 |last1=Peng |first1=Gary |last2=Lahlali |first2=Rachid |last3=Hwang |first3=Sheau-Fang |last4=Pageau |first4=Denis |last5=Hynes |first5=Russell K. |last6=McDonald |first6=Mary Ruth |last7=Gossen |first7=Bruce D. |last8=Strelkov |first8=Stephen E. |title=Crop rotation, cultivar resistance, and fungicides/biofungicides for managing clubroot (''Plasmodiophora brassicae'') on canola |doi=10.1080/07060661.2013.860398 |pages=99–112 |bibcode=2014CaJPP..36S..99P |s2cid=85013123}}
 |{{*}} {{cite journal |date=2014 |volume=36 |issue=sup1 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] ([[Canadian Phytopathological Society]]) |journal=[[Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology]] |issn=0706-0661 |last1=Hwang |first1=S.-F. |last2=Howard |first2=R. J. |last3=Strelkov |first3=S. E. |last4=Gossen |first4=B. D. |last5=Peng |first5=G. |title=Management of clubroot (''Plasmodiophora brassicae'') on canola (''Brassica napus'') in western Canada |doi=10.1080/07060661.2013.863806 |pages=49–65 |bibcode=2014CaJPP..36S..49H |s2cid=85393051}}
 |{{*}} {{cite journal |year=2018 |volume=101 |publisher=[[Elsevier]] ([[European Society for Agronomy]]) |last1=Hegewald |journal=[[European Journal of Agronomy]] |issn=1161-0301 |first1=Hannes |last2=Wensch-Dorendorf |first2=Monika |last3=Sieling |first3=Klaus |last4=Christen |first4=Olaf |title=Impacts of break crops and crop rotations on oilseed rape productivity: A review |doi=10.1016/j.eja.2018.08.003 |pages=63–77 |bibcode=2018EuJAg.101...63H |s2cid=92683017}}
 |{{*}} {{cite journal |issue=1 |date=2018 |volume=9 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |journal=[[Virulence (journal)|Virulence]] |issn=2150-5594 |last1=Pérez-López |first1=Edel |last2=Waldner |first2=Matthew |last3=Hossain |first3=Musharaf |last4=Kusalik |first4=Anthony J. |last5=Wei |first5=Yangdou |last6=Bonham-Smith |first6=Peta C. |last7=Todd |first7=Christopher D. |title=Identification of ''Plasmodiophora brassicae'' effectors — A challenging goal |doi=10.1080/21505594.2018.1504560 |pages=1344–1353 |pmid=30146948 |pmc=6177251 |s2cid=52090181}}
 |{{*}} {{cite journal |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] ([[Canadian Phytopathological Society]]) |journal=[[Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology]] |last1=Gossen |first1=Bruce D. |last2=Carisse |first2=Odile |last3=Kawchuk |first3=Lawrence M. |last4=Van Der Heyden |first4=Hervé |last5=McDonald |first5=Mary Ruth |title=Recent changes in fungicide use and the fungicide insensitivity of plant pathogens in Canada |volume=36 |issue=3 |date=July 3, 2014 |issn=0706-0661 |doi=10.1080/07060661.2014.925506 |pages=327–340 |bibcode=2014CaJPP..36..327G |s2cid=85040709}}
 }}
</ref> are primary farm crops, with Alberta leading the provinces in [[spring wheat]] production; other [[cereal|grains]] are also prominent. Much of the farming is dryland farming, often with fallow seasons interspersed with cultivation. Continuous cropping (in which there is no fallow season) is gradually becoming a more common mode of production because of increased profits and a reduction of [[soil erosion]]. Across the province, the once common [[grain elevator]] is slowly being lost as rail lines are decreasing; farmers typically truck the grain to central points.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gerson |first1=Jen |title=Preserving prairie cathedrals: Progress is leaving Alberta's historic grain elevators in its wake |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/preserving-prairie-cathedrals-progress-is-leaving-albertas-historic-grain-elevators-in-its-wake |access-date=January 18, 2017 |work=National Post |date=April 7, 2013 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614011533/https://nationalpost.com/category/news/ |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Canola in Alberta Canada.jpg|thumb|[[Canola]] field, [[Edmonton]]]]
In 2016, forestry provided over 15,000 jobs and generated over $1.0 billion to employment income, $2.6 billion to the provincial GDP, and over $6.1 billion in revenue.<ref name="gov.ab.ca">{{cite web |url=http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app21/forestrypage?cat1=Forest+Business |title=Agriculture and Forestry – Forest Business |website=agric.gov.ab.ca |access-date=December 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004130726/http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app21/forestrypage?cat1=Forest+Business |archive-date=October 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Uses for harvested timber include [[pulpwood]], [[hardwood]], [[engineered wood]] and [[bioproducts]] such as chemicals and [[biofuel]]s.

Alberta is the leading [[beekeeping]] province of Canada, representing approximately 40% of honey bees in the country, with some beekeepers wintering [[Beehive|hives]] indoors in specially designed barns in southern Alberta, then migrating north during the summer into the [[Peace River]] valley where the season is short but the working days are long for [[Western honey bee|honeybee]]s to produce honey from [[clover]] and [[Chamaenerion angustifolium|fireweed]]. [[Hybrid (biology)|Hybrid]] canola also requires bee pollination, and some beekeepers service this need.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beekeeping in Alberta |url=http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/content/ag_in_alberta_beekeeping |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118171830/http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/content/ag_in_alberta_beekeeping |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |access-date=January 18, 2017 |website=Government of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development |publisher=Government of Alberta}}</ref>

The mining and quarrying sector, excluding oil and gas, employed approximately 4,300 Albertans in 2021 (around 0.2% of the population) and focused on the mining of coal and mineral resources, such as sand, gravel, salt, limestone, clay, shale and more.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Alberta Oil and Gas and Mining Industry Profile |url=https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/f4f39b9e-48cb-4f6a-b491-25ee6f9c281e/resource/ebdc160e-9a8a-459b-94dc-b3b2fedf882e/download/jet-alberta-mining-and-oil-and-gas-extraction-industry-profile-2023.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chapter 34 - Mineral Resources |url=https://ags.aer.ca/publications/atlas-western-canada-sedimentary-basin/chapter-34-mineral-resources |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Alberta Geological Survey |language=en}}</ref>

Oil and gas extraction itself however is Alberta’s largest and most economically dominant primary industry. In 2021, the industry employed roughly 84,500 people in extraction, with another 50,500 in support activities—totaling approximately 135,000 jobs or about 5.6% of Alberta’s total employment.<ref name=":8" /> In terms of economic output, the sector accounted for approximately 27% of Alberta’s GDP in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Mining Story 2024 |url=https://mining.ca/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/06/Facts-and-Figures-2023-FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf}}</ref> Alberta also produced about {{convert|4.3|e6oilbbl}} of crude oil per day in 2023, making up 84% of Canada’s total oil production.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Energy and the Canadian Economy |url=https://www.capp.ca/en/our-priorities/energy-and-the-canadian-economy/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=CAPP {{!}} A Unified Voice for Canada's Upstream Oil and Gas Industry |language=en-CA}}</ref>

==== Oil extraction ====
[[File:Petroleum resources in Alberta, according to the Argonne National Labs.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Petroleum resources in Alberta]]
Alberta is the largest producer of [[petroleum|conventional crude oil]], [[synthetic crude]], [[natural gas]] and gas products in Canada. Alberta is the world's second-largest exporter of natural gas and the fourth-largest producer.<ref name="Alaska and Alberta - An Overview">{{cite web |url=http://economic.alberta.ca/documents/Alaska-AB.pdf |title=Alaska – Alberta Relations |publisher=Government of Alberta |access-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611125209/http://economic.alberta.ca/documents/Alaska-AB.pdf |archive-date=June 11, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Two of the largest producers of [[petrochemical]]s in North America are in central and north-central Alberta. In both Red Deer and Edmonton, [[polyethylene]] and [[Polyvinyl chloride|vinyl]] manufacturers produce products that are shipped all over the world. Edmonton's [[oil refinery|oil refineries]] provide the raw materials for a large [[petrochemical industry]] to the east of Edmonton.

The [[Athabasca oil sands]] surrounding [[Fort McMurray]] have estimated [[unconventional oil]] reserves approximately equal to the conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be {{convert|1.6|e12oilbbl|km3}}.<ref name="a496">{{cite web |title=How Much CO2 Comes from Alberta Crude Oil? Much More Than You Think |website=Alberta Beyond Fossil Fuels |date=February 6, 2023 |url=https://albertabeyondfossilfuels.ca/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-alberta-crude-oil/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon |access-date=July 8, 2024 |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708183916/https://albertabeyondfossilfuels.ca/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-alberta-crude-oil/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon |url-status=live }}</ref> Many companies employ both conventional [[surface mining|strip mining]] and non-conventional [[in situ]] methods to extract the [[bitumen]] from the [[oil sands]].

Another factor determining the viability of oil extraction from the oil sands is the [[price of oil]]. The [[World oil market chronology from 2003|oil price increases since 2003]] have made it profitable to extract this oil, which in the past would give little profit or even a loss. By mid-2014, rising costs and stabilizing oil prices threatened the economic viability of some projects. An example of this was the shelving of the Joslyn North project<ref name="z848">{{cite web |title=Total E&P Canada Ltd. Joslyn North Mine Project |website=Open Government |date=January 22, 2008 |url=https://open.alberta.ca/publications/environmental-assessment-total-e-p-canada-ltd-joslyn-north-mine-project |access-date=July 8, 2024 }}</ref> in the Athabasca region in May 2014.<ref name="TotalJoslyn">{{cite news |title=Cost escalation leads Total to put Joslyn oil sands project on hold |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/business/layoff+talk+swirls+Total+update+Joslyn+oilsands+status/9888984/story.html |access-date=June 14, 2014 |newspaper=Edmonton Journal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605062522/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/layoff+talk+swirls+Total+update+Joslyn+oilsands+status/9888984/story.html |archive-date=June 5, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

With concerted effort and support from the provincial government, several high-tech industries have found their birth in Alberta, notably patents related to interactive [[liquid-crystal display]] systems.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130809034342/http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5448263.html Interactive display system]—US Patent U.S. Patent No. 5,448,263; {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215131340/http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5448263.html |date=February 15, 2009}}—SMART Technologies</ref>

=== Secondary sector ===
[[File:Calgary Tower, Calgary, Alberta, Canada -view-20June2010 (2).jpg|left|thumb|Construction in Calgary as seen from the [[Calgary Tower]] in 2010]]
While not as important as its service sector or as influential as its oil and gas industry, Alberta's [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] &mdash; comprising manufacturing, construction, and utilities &mdash; is still of importance, especially to employment and economic diversification. 

In 2021, Alberta's [[manufacturing]] sector employed approximately 122,300 individuals, accounting for 5% of the province's total employment. The sector also contributed $23.4 billion, or 8%, to Alberta's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Key subsectors include [[Food Manufacturing|food manufacturing]] (15.8% of manufacturing employment), fabricated metal products (13.6%), machinery (9.8%), wood products (9.8%), and chemicals (8.7%). Notably, 96% of these jobs were full-time, and 73% of the workforce fell within the core working age of 25–54. However, with 20% of workers aged 55 and older, the sector faces impending retirements that could lead to significant job vacancies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Manufacturing - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-manufacturing |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>

Alberta's [[construction industry]] is a major employer, with 222,200 individuals working in the sector in 2021, representing 10% of the province's workforce. The industry contributed $23.6 billion to Alberta's GDP, equating to 8% of the total. Employment is distributed across trade contracting (54.8%), building construction (30.8%), and heavy and civil engineering construction (14.4%). The workforce is predominantly male (84%), with a significant portion (27%) being self-employed. Additionally, Indigenous workers constitute 13.5% of the construction labor force, surpassing their representation in the overall provincial workforce.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Construction - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-construction |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>

The utilities sector, which encompasses electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, employed 13,354 Albertans in 2022. Employment here grew at an average annual rate of 2.6% between 2017 and 2022, largely because of the expansion of renewable energy sources.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Electricity in Demand: Alberta Workforce 2023-2028 |url=https://ehrc.ca/labour-market-intelligence/electricity-in-demand-alberta-workforce-2023-2028/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=Electricity Human Resources Canada |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Tertiary sector ===
Alberta's [[service sector]] employs around 80% of Albertans, in various fields like retail, healthcare, education, professional services, tourism, FIRE (finance, investment and real estate), transportation and warehousing, food services, public administration, arts and recreation, and more. Therefore, it unsurprisingly accounts for the majority of Alberta's economic activity. 
[[File:WEM Phase III at Deep Sea Adventure Lake 03-25-2023.jpg|thumb|The [[West Edmonton Mall]] is home to hundreds of retail businesses and was once the biggest mall in the world]]
The [[retail]] and [[Wholesaling|wholesale trade]] sector is a significant employer in Alberta, accounting for approximately 15% of total provincial employment. In 2022, wholesale trade contributed $14.7 billion, and retail trade contributed $14.1 billion to Alberta's GDP, collectively making up about 8% of the province's total GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Wholesale and Retail Trade - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-trade |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref> 

Healthcare and social assistance, which includes hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and community health programs, is similarly one of the largest employers in Alberta. In 2020, approximately 247,100 individuals were employed in this sector, representing about 11% of the province's total employment. About 88,800 of these jobs are in the ambulatory health care services sub-sector, while 107,800 are employed in the hospitals sub-sector and 50,500 are employed in nursing and residential care facilities. In terms of economic contribution, the sector added $16.7 billion to Alberta's GDP in 2020, accounting for 5.4% of the provincial total. Employment prospects here are good, due to an aging population and ongoing labor shortages, particularly in nursing and residential care facilities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Health Care - Job Bank |url=https://www.on.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-health-care |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.on.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>

Educational services account for 7.1% of total provincial employment in Alberta. In 2022, of the 168,100 people employed here, about 98,400 people (58.5%) worked in primary and secondary education, 36,400 people (21.7%) worked in university education, 17,800 (10.6%) worked in other schools and educational support, and 12,200 (7.3%) worked in post-secondary education. In 2022, the sector contributed $12.4 billion, or 4%, to the provincial GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Educational Services - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-education |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>  

The finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (or FIRE) is a big part of Alberta's economy. In 2023, the finance and insurance sector alone contributed $14.88 billion to the province's GDP, with a five-year average growth rate of 2.8%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alberta finance, insurance, real estate and leasing industry profile - Open Government |url=https://open.alberta.ca/publications/alberta-finance-insurance-real-estate-leasing-industry-profile |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=open.alberta.ca}}</ref> In February 2025, activity in this sub-sector declined for the third consecutive month, reflecting a cooling in home resale activity across the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2025-04-30 |title=The Daily — Gross domestic product by industry, February 2025 |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250430/dq250430a-eng.htm |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www150.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref> 

The [[Professional services|professional]], scientific, and technical services sector has experienced rapid growth in recent times, with employment increasing by 28,700 jobs (15.1%) between 2021 and 2022. Since 2018, employment has grown by 47,300 jobs (27.6%), making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in Alberta.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-professional-services |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>

The transportation and warehousing sector employed 130,900 people in 2021, accounting for 6% of total provincial employment. Employment in this sector increased by 10,600 jobs (8.8%) from 2020 to 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Transportation and Warehousing - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-transportation |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>

In 2022, approximately 108,200 people were employed in Alberta's public administration sector, accounting for 4.6% of provincial employment. Employment in this sector increased by 5,000 jobs (4.8%) from 2021 to 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Public Administration - Job Bank |url=https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-public-administration |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref>

The arts, entertainment, and recreation sector contributed $1.61 billion to Alberta's GDP in 2023, with an 8.2% growth. However, over a five-year period, the sector experienced an annualized -3.7% GDP and -3.5% employment decline, despite employing 22,663 people in 2023. This may be due to [[COVID-19 pandemic]]-related disruptions, but lower funding from government, higher difficulty in obtaining and retaining staff, and shifts in consumer behaviour could also be contributing factors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Employment and Social Development |title=Alberta Sector Profile: Information, Culture and Recreation - Job Bank |url=https://www.nt.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/alberta/sectoral-profile-arts |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.nt.jobbank.gc.ca}}</ref> 

The accommodation and food services -which encompasses accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, and travel services- is a significant component of Alberta's service economy. 140,400 people were employed here in 2023, which accounts for 6.1% of Alberta's total employment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-21 |title=Key Small Business Statistics 2023 |url=https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/sme-research-statistics/en/key-small-business-statistics/key-small-business-statistics-2023 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=ised-isde.canada.ca}}</ref> Furthermore, in 2023, the sector contributed approximately $8.1 billion to Alberta's GDP, marking a 7.8% increase from the previous year. This growth indicates a strong recovery from the pandemic's impact, with the sector surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2024-05-01 |title=The Daily — Gross domestic product by industry: Provinces and territories, 2023 |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240501/dq240501a-eng.htm |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www150.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref> 

==== Tourism ====
{{Main|Tourism in Alberta}}
[[File:Three Sisters - panoramio (7).jpg|alt=|left|thumb|[[The Three Sisters (Alberta)|The Three Sisters]] at [[Bow Valley Provincial Park]] in [[Canmore, Alberta|Canmore]]]]
Alberta has been a tourist destination from the early days of the 20th century, with attractions including outdoor locales for skiing, hiking, and camping, shopping locales such as [[West Edmonton Mall]], [[Calgary Stampede]], outdoor festivals, professional athletic events, international sporting competitions such as the [[Commonwealth Games]] and Olympic Games, as well as more eclectic attractions. According to Alberta Economic Development, Calgary and Edmonton both host over four million visitors annually. [[Banff, Alberta|Banff]], [[Jasper, Alberta|Jasper]] and the [[Canadian Rockies|Rocky Mountains]] are visited by about three million people per year.<ref name="Geography & Climate:Encourage Canadian Immigration">{{cite web |url=http://www.akcanada.com/lic_alberta.cfm |title=Living in Canada : Alberta |publisher=AKCanada |access-date=November 8, 2009 |archive-date=January 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126123053/http://akcanada.com/lic_alberta.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref> Alberta tourism relies heavily on [[Southern Ontario]] tourists, as well as tourists from other parts of Canada, the United States, and many other countries.

There are also natural attractions like [[Elk Island National Park]], [[Wood Buffalo National Park]], and the [[Columbia Icefield]]. [[Alberta's Rockies]] include well-known tourist destinations [[Banff National Park]] and [[Jasper National Park]]. The two mountain parks are connected by the scenic [[Icefields Parkway]]. Banff is located {{cvt|128|km}} west of Calgary on [[Alberta Highway 1|Highway&nbsp;1]], and Jasper is located {{cvt|366|km}} west of Edmonton on the [[Yellowhead Highway]]. Five of Canada's fourteen [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]s are located within the province: [[Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site|Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks]], [[Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park]], Wood Buffalo National Park, [[Dinosaur Provincial Park]] and [[Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump]]. A number of these areas hold ski resorts, most notably [[Banff Sunshine]], [[Lake Louise Ski Resort|Lake Louise]], [[Marmot Basin]], [[Mt Norquay|Norquay]] and [[Nakiska]].
[[File:Bronco stampede01c.jpg|thumb|Bronco riding at the [[Calgary Stampede]]. The event is one of the world's largest [[rodeo]]s.]]
About 1.2&nbsp;million people visit the Calgary Stampede,<ref name="Landmark Stampede Dates">{{cite web |url=http://corporate.calgarystampede.com/about/stampede-history/ |title=History of the Stampede |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520050414/http://corporate.calgarystampede.com/about/stampede-history |url-status=live }}</ref> a celebration of Canada's own Wild West and the cattle ranching industry. About 700,000 people enjoy Edmonton's [[K-Days]] (formerly Klondike Days and Capital EX).<ref name=KDays>{{cite news |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/festivals/Capital+named+Days/7002873/story.html |title=Capital Ex to be named K-Days (Poll) |author=Manisha Krishnan |newspaper=[[Edmonton Journal]] |publisher=[[Postmedia Network]] |date=July 29, 2012 |access-date=July 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731233950/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/festivals/Capital%2Bnamed%2BDays/7002873/story.html |archive-date=July 31, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://k-days.com/info/ |title=K-Days Edmonton |publisher=Northlands |access-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624172114/http://k-days.com/info/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Edmonton was the gateway to the only all-Canadian route to the [[Yukon]] [[Gold mining|gold field]]s, and the only route which did not require gold-seekers to travel the exhausting and dangerous [[Chilkoot Pass]].

Another tourist destination that draws more than 650,000 visitors each year is the Drumheller Valley, located northeast of Calgary. [[Drumheller]], known as the "Dinosaur Capital of The World", offers the [[Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology]]. Drumheller also had a rich mining history being one of Western Canada's largest coal producers during the war years. Another attraction in east-central Alberta is [[Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions]], a popular tourist attraction operated out of [[Stettler, Alberta|Stettler]], that offers train excursions into the prairie and caters to tens of thousands of visitors every year.