Rob Roach, ATB Economics | June 17, 2021

For the fourth quarter in a row, more people left Alberta for other parts of Canada than arrived from elsewhere in the country.

According to the latest population data from Statistics Canada, Alberta lost 3,384 people to other provinces and territories over the first three months of 2021. The net loss since the second quarter of 2020 comes to 7,633.

People move around the country for a wide range of reasons, but Alberta tends to be a net recipient when our economy is thriving and vice versa. Alberta’s economy was the hardest hit among the provinces last year and the unemployment rate was…

New House Prices On The Rise In Alberta

The average price of newly built homes in Alberta was on a downward trend before the pandemic, but has picked up some steam in recent months.

As of February 2020 (the month before the pandemic was declared), the new home price index for Alberta was 2.6 per cent below where it was in December 2016.

The price index barely moved during the pandemic in 2020, but it did get as low as 3.3 per cent below the baseline set in December 2016.

The index ticked up slightly in each of the first four months of 2021 to reach its highest level in six years. The increase, however, was modest at just 1 per cent above where things stood at the end of 2016.

The paths…

ATB Economics | March 19, 2021

Alberta has lost residents to other parts of Canada for the third quarter in a row. Almost 1,300 more people moved out of Alberta for other provinces or territories in the fourth quarter of 2020 than moved in.

On an annual basis, Alberta lost 2,152 residents to other parts of Canada in 2020.

From 2010 to 2014, Alberta gained 120,488 residents from other parts of Canada.

The arrow has reversed direction since then with a net loss of 23,147 residents to the rest of Canada from 2015 to 2020.

Alberta lost the most…

ATB Economics | February 26, 2021

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.

Average daily consumer spending* in Alberta was up by 2.5 per cent in December 2020 compared to December 2019.

The higher spending in December was not, however, enough to keep annual sales from falling below the 2019 level. Consumers in Alberta spent about 3.7 per cent less last year than in 2019.

Unadjusted consumer spending always falls in January compared…