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Tracking the Trends 2011: Edmonton's Increasing Diversity October 2011 tracking the TRENDS is the ESPC's flagship publication that offers a comprehensive collection of current and historical demographic and socio-economic data focused on the Edmonton region. The publication divides the trends into six major categories: Demographics - indicators of population growth, immigration and population diversity. Education & Employment - indicators of educational achievement and employment status of the population. Cost of Living & Housing Trends - indicators of the costs of basic necessities, such as food and housing, as well as the housing status of the population. Wages, Income & Wealth - indicators of the changing value of the wages, incomes and net worth of individuals and families. Poverty - indicators of the prevalence of low income, as well as the incidence of acute forms of poverty, such as homelessness. Government Income Supports - indicators of the investments made by governments towards improving financial security and the impact of those investments on low income families.

With 24%, or almost one in four Edmontonians having immigrated to Edmonton in their lifetime, Edmonton is certainly a multicultural city.(1)  With the population now more than 722,260 people, there are over 180,565 neighbours, coworkers and friends in Edmonton whose comforts of urban culture and urban design are likely somewhat to very different than the Canadian status-quo. Based on the language spoken at home, Figure 1 shows the nation of origin of many new Edmontonians, including 40% from India, the Philippines and China, thousands from Germany, the Ukraine, Poland, Spain, the Middle East, Vietnam and many other countries. Edmonton is home to over 70 different ethnic groups.(2)  This multiculturalism could be called one of the backbones of the Canadian identity - and one which the Canadian government continues to pride itself on at national and international levels. At our municipal level, the City of Edmonton has stated it "acknowledges the diversity of Edmontonians and [has charted] a course of inclusion where all people can be confident of the opportunity for success in [the] city".(3) However, to truly plan for a multicultural city we must include and go beyond hosting food and dance fairs and funding cultural associations. To build a city that is reflective of its people means to provide room for the very public spaces and culturally-relevant buildings that inhabit and nurture the essence of urban culture that exist in its people's way of being. So how does the City of Edmonton contribute to the celebration and accommodation of the diversity of its citizens through the built form? The City's newly released 'Ways' documents including The Way We Grow (Edmonton's Municipal Development Plan (MDP) for urban growth) and The Way We Live (Edmonton's plan for community development and social service delivery) provide some insight to Edmonton's plans for cultural inclusivity through urban design using a livability framework.(4, 5) From the MDP Th

"Report examines Alberta labour market, impact of labour shortages Study reveals cost of labour shortages, offers recommendations for tackling one of the province's most pressing policy challenges. By Jamie Hanlon on July 18, 2013 (Edmonton) The scope of Alberta's labour shortage and the need for recommendations on how to address it were the catalyst for a year-and-a-half-long study of one of the province's most pressing policy challenges. The University of Alberta's Institute for Public Economics commissioned the study to foster informed debate on the highly relevant policy issue. An Examination of Alberta Labour Markets explains that the opportunity cost of not filling jobs under an economic scenario similar to that outlined in Alberta's 2013 budget is $33 billion in current dollars over four years. Lost personal tax revenue to the provincial and federal governments is estimated to be nearly $6.8 billion over four years. The report emphasizes that several industries risk significant shortages-including retail, hotel and food services, and health care. Edmonton and the Banff-Jasper region are two areas at the greatest risk for labour shortages. To counteract these trends, the report's authors developed a number of recommendations to provide access to otherwise untapped labour groups including mature workers, disabled people and First Nations people. "This comprehensive analysis leads to a number of concrete policy actions that can be taken by both the federal and Alberta governments," said Robert Ascah, director of the institute. "The report's recommendations are aimed at developing a highly skilled workforce, which will benefit all Albertans. "This means attracting the most skilled workers possible and ensuring we are doing everything we can to have apprentices complete their training." The study was funded by the Government of Alberta and 12 associations and unions with an interest in addressing periodic labour shortages in A

Alberta's economy really picked up in the fourth and final quarter of 2010; however, according to data out this morning, the number of Albertans  filing for employment insurance benefits failed to show any improvement. Over roughly the last six months,  both  the number of Albertans receiving EI benefits and the number of  initial and renewal claims has trended sideways. This indicates that, despite strong energy prices and generally rising economic activity,  there remains a fair  number ofAlbertans who are still finding it tough to obtain employment

Skilled jobs will go to the lowest bidder worldwide. A decline in middle class pay and job satisfaction is only just beginning

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