EDMONTON — A new report says increasing Indigenous participation in Alberta’s labour market could boost the province’s GDP by between two and three percentage points, the equivalent of $8 billion to $11 billion annually.

The report by ATB Financial and professional services firm MNP pegs the total contributions of Indigenous governments, businesses and households to Alberta’s GDP in 2023 at $9.2 billion, approximately three per cent of the province’s total GDP.

It says the contributions of Indigenous people to Alberta’s economy have grown by 12 to 15 per cent since 2019.

But the report says disparities in income and educational attainment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Albertans persist. It says Indigenous workers are still overrepresented in lower-paying roles and under-represented in management and professional positions

The report calls on businesses, governments, and communities to work together to advance Indigenous economic reconciliation. It concludes that increasing Indigenous participation in the labour market would significantly boost Alberta’s economic potential.

There were between 350,000 and 360,000 Indigenous individuals in Alberta in 2023, which represented about 7.5 per cent of the province’s total population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.

The Canadian Press