Health Care and Social Assistance (NAICS 62): Alberta, 2025
Highlights
- In 2024, Alberta’s health care and social assistance sector (NAICS 62) generated $24.2 billion in real GDP, accounting for 6.9% of the province’s total GDP, which was $353.3 billion. This marked a five percent increase from $23.1 billion in 2023, with growth projected to continue from 2025 to 2027, reaching approximately $27.2 billion.
- Employment in Alberta’s health care and social assistance sector reached an estimated 326,700 workers in 2024, up from 320,500 in 2023, reflecting a 1.9% year-over-year increase. In 2024, the sector comprised 12.8% of total provincial employment, a share that has gradually increased from 11% in 2014.
- Alberta’s health care and social assistance sector is projected to experience 11% employment growth from 2024 to 2027 and 12% GDP contribution growth. The broadly parallel expansion of labour and output suggests a sector maintaining productivity under increasing demand pressure.
About the Sector
Composition and importance of the sector
Alberta’s healthcare and social assistance sector (NAICS 62) is a large, multifaceted component of the province’s service economy, comprising four key subsectors: ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621), hospitals (NAICS 622), nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623), and social assistance (NAICS 624). This sector comprises organizations that deliver medical, rehabilitative, long-term, and community-based support services to individuals, families, and communities.
Healthcare and social assistance in Alberta generated approximately $24.2 billion in real GDP in 2024 — 6.9% of Alberta’s total GDP — up five percent from $23.1 billion in 2023. Health care accounted for around 91% ($22.1 billion) of the sector’s GDP, and social assistance, nine percent ($2.2 billion).
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621) | 8,174.2 | 8,520.5 | 8,765.4 | 8,941.8 | 9,040.4 | 9,086.5 | 8,623.9 | 9,121.0 | 9,366.8 | 9,685.9 | 10,016.5 |
| Hospitals (NAICS 622) | 6,672.9 | 6,638.2 | 6,816.2 | 6,890.5 | 7,189.7 | 7,345.8 | 7,103.0 | 7,546.6 | 7,908.6 | 8,399.2 | 8,917.4 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623) | 2,248.9 | 2,357.6 | 2,475.2 | 2,504.5 | 2,687.1 | 2,708.9 | 2,669.2 | 2,830.1 | 2,899.1 | 3,023.7 | 3,158.7 |
| Social assistance (NAICS 624) | 1,548.2 | 1,642.9 | 1,715.4 | 1,713.4 | 1,798.8 | 1,856.0 | 1,589.2 | 1,762.7 | 1,888.8 | 1,980.4 | 2,158.3 |
* Chained (2017) dollars
Source: Statistics Canada, Gross Domestic Product by Industry - Provincial and Territorial (Annual)
| Health Care and Social Assistance (NAICS 62) | Others | |
|---|---|---|
| 6.26% | 93.74% |
* Current dollars
Source: Statistics Canada, Gross Domestic Product by Industry - Provincial and Territorial (Annual)
Ambulatory health care and services, which includes offices of physicians and dentists, accounted for 41.3% of Alberta’s GDP expenditures on health care and social assistance in 2024. Hospitals accounted for 36.8% of Alberta’s 2024 GDP expenditures on health care and social assistance, followed by nursing and residential care facilities at 13.0%.
This sector employed 326,700 individuals in 2024 or 12.8% of Alberta’s workforce — up from 320,500 in 2023, a 1.9% increase.
Geographical distribution of employment
Employment in health care and social assistance is concentrated in urban regions, with 72.6% of jobs located in Calgary and Edmonton. Hospitals (NAICS 622) and ambulatory care services (NAICS 621) dominate health care and social assistance urban employment, particularly in Calgary and Edmonton.
However, growth has been more pronounced in suburban and peri-urban centres like Lethbridge and Red Deer, where expanded primary care and community clinics are relieving pressure from urban hospitals.
| Economic Regions, Alberta | Employment (x 1,000), 2024 | Sector (NAICS 62) Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Lethbridge-Medicine Hat, Alberta | 26.0 | 7.96% |
| Camrose-Drumheller, Alberta | 14.5 | 4.44% |
| Calgary, Alberta | 123.2 | 37.71% |
| Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River, Alberta | 24.9 | 7.62% |
| Red Deer, Alberta | 16.9 | 5.17% |
| Edmonton, Alberta | 113.9 | 34.86% |
| Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake, Alberta | 7.5 | 2.30% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey
Indigenous employment in healthcare and social assistance was 4.7% in 2024 (15,500 workers), supported by targeted training and employment programs in communities such as Maskwacis and Edmonton.
Workforce
Workforce characteristics
Women make up more than 82% of the NAICS 62 workforce in Alberta and are overrepresented in part-time roles. Around 23% of all healthcare and social assistance employees worked part-time in 2024 and 87.4% of part-time employees were women. Around 80.8% of full-time employees in the industry were women in 2024.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 24 years | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 4.2 |
| 25 to 54 years | 30.5 | 29.2 | 32.0 | 32.9 | 33.0 | 30.2 | 39.0 | 41.2 | 41.8 | 45.0 | 44.0 |
| 55 years and over | 8.8 | 9.9 | 8.3 | 11.3 | 10.0 | 10.4 | 13.1 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 9.3 | 9.6 |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 24 years | 19.1 | 17.8 | 20.3 | 14.2 | 19.6 | 20.5 | 15.7 | 20.7 | 16.8 | 21.1 | 23.8 |
| 25 to 54 years | 146.1 | 157.3 | 157.9 | 163.8 | 167.0 | 171.4 | 177.0 | 183.3 | 193.4 | 195.1 | 203.2 |
| 55 years and over | 34.8 | 42.3 | 39.6 | 41.4 | 43.5 | 49.1 | 36.6 | 46.3 | 43.7 | 46.8 | 41.8 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey
Occupations of Interest
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 31301) | 33.4 | 42.8 | 39.8 | 39.8 | 33.5 | 44.1 | 41.0 | 39.8 | 38.7 | 49.1 | 47.2 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, ESDC custom table
Healthcare and social assistance employs workers in a variety of occupations. Registered nurses (RNs) and registered psychiatric nurses comprise the largest regulated occupational group in Alberta’s healthcare and social assistance sector, with approximately 47,200 employees in 2024. The number of RNs in Alberta decreased by around four percent from 2023 to 2024.
Other occupations in healthcare and social assistance include early childhood educators and home care aides, as well as general practitioners and licensed practical nurses.
Recent History
Between 2020 and 2024, Alberta’s healthcare and social assistance sector underwent a significant transformation, driven by a combination of organizational restructuring, workforce expansion, and targeted provincial investment. Sector employment increased from 284,700 in 2020 to 326,700 by the end of 2024, marking a 14.8% growth rate over this four-year period. This expansion occurred alongside rising labour market tensions. Vacant positions more than doubled from 3,095 in Q1 2020 to 8,840 in Q1 2025, indicating persistent staffing challenges and heightened competition across key occupational categories.
NAICS 622 (Hospitals) has been the single largest employer in healthcare and social assistance from 2020 to 2024, accounting for 111,000 positions in 2024. NAICS 621 (Ambulatory Health Care Services) had 97,700 workers in 2024, NAICS 623 (Nursing and Residential Care Facilities) supported 47,900 workers, while NAICS 624 (Social Assistance), which includes child services, mental health, and community support roles, employed 70,200 individuals. Indigenous health care and social assistance employment increased slightly from 2020 at 4.6% of employment in the sector to 4.7% in 2024.
Employment Outlook
Alberta’s healthcare and social assistance sector (NAICS 62) is set for continued growth through 2027, driven by an aging population and high service demand. In 2024, the sector employed approximately 327,000 workers, accounting for 13.0% of Alberta’s total employed workforce. The sector is expected to grow to 363,000 workers by 2027, an 11.2% increase compared to 2024, with roughly 10% of the growth in health care and 15% of the growth in social assistance.
Demographic shifts will intensify sectoral labour pressures. Alberta’s 65+ population is expected to grow by 22% from 2025 to 2030, according to Statistics Canada’s M1 population projection. This growth will lead to rising demand for long-term care, chronic disease management, and home-based services.
From a macroeconomic perspective, healthcare and social assistance is one of Alberta’s most labour-intensive sectors and a major economic engine. The sector generated approximately $24.2 billion in direct GDP in 2024 and is expected to surpass $27 billion by 2027.
In preparing this document, the authors have taken care to provide clients with labour market information that is timely and accurate at the time of publication. Since labour market conditions are dynamic, some of the information presented here may have changed since this document was published. Users are encouraged to also refer to other sources for additional information on the local economy and labour market. Information contained in this document does not necessarily reflect official policies of Employment and Social Development Canada.
Portions of this sector profile were prepared with support from artificial intelligence (AI) tools, in accordance with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) guidelines. All AI-assisted content has been reviewed for accuracy and compliance with ESDC standards.
Prepared by: Labour Market Information Directorate, Service Canada - Western Canada and Territories (W-T) Region
For further information, please contact the Labour Market Information Directorate here.
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