United States
as a Labour Source
Alberta employers are facing a globally competitive labour market
and potential shortages that cannot be filled by Albertans and
Canadians alone. The Government of Alberta identifies international
sources of labour based on a number of factors including the
availability of skilled labour, English proficiency and transferability of
skills to the Alberta market.
Why the United States?
The U.S. is an attractive market for many Alberta employers because
there are:
„„ Limited language barriers
„„ Similar occupational health and safety standards
„„ Similar education systems and licensing requirements
Many Alberta companies, industry associations and unions already
collaborate with their U.S.-based counterparts and are familiar with
the occupational requirements and work environment.
Traditionally U.S.
residents tend to
enter Canada under
the Temporary
Foreign Worker (TFW)
Program as compared
to permanent
residency programs.
As economic conditions change,
opportunities in the U.S. market
will also change. It’s important to
do your own research. Depending
on the occupations your organization
requires, the U.S. market may not suit
your needs.
The Government of Alberta provides
research and information resources.
Employers are responsible for
recruitment activities. We have helpful
information for employers interested
in international recruiting on the Help for Employers section of our
website at www.AlbertaCanada.com/employers.
Before recruiting
Despite the similarities, there are still credential recognition issues
within areas of the country. The U.S. does not have an equivalent of
Canada’s formal apprenticeship and certification system for many
skilled trades. This makes it difficult for some U.S. workers to get
their trade certification from Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
For help, see the Best Practices Guide for Recruiting International
Skilled Workers in the Trades. www.AlbertaCanada.com/
BestPracticesGuide_w.pdf.
There are some common myths about Alberta that you could get
questions about.
„„ Weather - Alberta does not have winter and snow all year round.
There are four distinct seasons.
„„ Health Care - Health care in Canada is delivered through a
publicly funded health care system.
„„ Cost of Living - The cost of living in Alberta is in fact lower
than many areas in the U.S. Albertans pay low personal income
taxes and Alberta is the only province with no provincial sales tax.
Alberta has among the lowest provincial gasoline tax and lowest
property taxes in Canada. For more facts on the cost of living in
Alberta, see the Living in Alberta guide.
www.AlbertaCanada.com/LivingAB_general_2011_w.pdf
Employers should also be prepared to talk about:
Taxation - U.S. workers employed in Alberta on a temporary work
permit pay Canadian federal and provincial income tax, Employment
Insurance premiums, and Canada Pension Plan premiums. They
are also liable for U.S. income tax on income earned in Canada, but
may be entitled to a tax credit on U.S income tax owed, equal to the
amount of Canadian income tax paid.
Internal Revenue Service U.S. - Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and
Resident Aliens Abroad www.irs.gov/publications/p54
Criminal Records - The federal government through Citizen
and Immigration Canada approves entry into Canada. Persons
convicted of a criminal offence including driving while under the
influence of drugs or alcohol may not be allowed to enter or work in
Canada. A best practice is to use criminal record checks to avoid
potential difficulties with entry into Canada. www.cic.gc.ca/english/
information/faq/inadmissibility
Recruiting tips
„„ Recruit for specific occupations where there are current job
openings, rather than general recruiting.
„„ Recruit in target occupations where Alberta has higher than
average salaries.
„„ Pre-screen applicants first – for example, set up a website or
email where workers can submit their resumes first and then
complete interviews in person or via video conference.
Where to recruit
These reports do not consider:
Working with a U.S. research firm in 2012, the Government of Alberta
completed a series of reports that identify the best U.S. cities and
regions to recruit. Recommendations were made on the best cities to
target for recruiting workers in each of the
66 high-demand occupations identified. To
The average salary
get the full list of occupations studied, visit
for workers in
www.AlbertaCanada.com/US-Labour.
Alberta exceeds the
U.S. in the majority
of occupations
covered in the study.
Occupation-specific recommendations are
based on multiple factors including the
number of workers in the labour market,
local worker demographics, wage levels,
and historical levels of mobility.
These reports identified that:
„„ Alberta employers recruiting in the U.S. are more likely to be
successful by targeting workers who are either young, single,
foreign nationals, or renters.
„„ Alberta employers can target Canadians working in the U.S., as
they are more likely to relocate to Alberta for family reasons in
combination with work opportunities.
„„ Mobility in the U.S. is particularly high for two occupations:
Industrial Instrument Technicians and Mechanics, and
Industrial Electricians.
„„ One-time events that account for a portion of migration such as
large business closures, natural disasters, etc.
„„ U.S. attitudes about living and working in Alberta.
„„ Credential matching or acceptance from Alberta licensing bodies.
To learn more about specific occupations, visit the Government of
Alberta Trades Secrets website at www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca.
The following chart identifies cities that were among the top U.S.
metro areas recommended for recruiting in the majority of highdemand occupations. The number of high-demand occupations are
listed to the right of the bar for each metro area.
Other resources and information
For more information on top locations to recruit in the U.S.
and salary differentials in the Oil and Gas, Construction and
Engineering sectors, go to the Help for Employer section of our
website at www.AlbertaCanada.com/US-Labour.
Is your business recruiting in the U.S.? We’d like to hear from you.
Please email us at EAE.findlabour@gov.ab.ca
Top recommended cities for recruiting
high-demand occupations
52
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Phoenix, AZ
46
Houston, TX
46
35
Miami, FL
Atlanta, GA
29
Fort Lauderdale, FL
29
West Palm Beach, FL
23
Denver, TX
23
Austin, TX
22
Los Angeles, CA
22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
# of occupations for which the city is in the top 10 recommended cities for recruiting
www.AlbertaCanada.com/immigration
©2012 Government of Alberta Published: November 2012
ISBN Print: 978-1-4601-0421-7
ISBN Electronic: 978-1-4601-0420-0