Alberta CEOs plan to invest, hire and grow despite uncertainty
New BCA CEO Pulse Survey finds strong business confidence, while regulation remains the biggest barrier to growth.
At a Glance
Despite trade uncertainty, geopolitical issues, and the upcoming referendum on separation, Alberta business leaders are upbeat about the year ahead and are preparing to invest, hire, and grow over the coming year.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) expect economic conditions to improve versus just 8% who expect them to deteriorate, and that optimism carries through to their own plans: roughly half expect faster revenue growth, 55% plan to increase capital investment, and half plan to add staff. Compared with the Bank of Canada’s latest Business Outlook Survey, the results suggest conditions have improved more in Alberta and the Prairies than elsewhere in Canada, likely reflecting the significant number of recent major project announcements and growing opportunities for the oil and gas sector.
The optimism comes with some caveats. Cost pressures are widespread and expected to intensify; and almost half of business leaders still report difficulty finding or retaining staff. When both major and moderate barriers are considered, taxes were identified most frequently (82%), followed by input costs (74%) and regulation (74%). However, regulation was by far the issue most likely to be identified as a major barrier (45%), suggesting that for Alberta businesses, the biggest obstacles are homegrown.
Key findings
Alberta businesses have faced no shortage of challenge, uncertainty, and opportunity in recent years — from U.S. tariffs and conflict in the Middle East to big swings in population growth to a shifting policy environment. Now, there are a number of new projects under construction or on the horizon, including the recent announcement of a major data centre north of Edmonton and the proposal to build a pipeline to the west coast. But, at the same time, debate over the October referendum on separation is intensifying.
Amid it all, the mood among Alberta business leaders is remarkably positive.
Alberta business leaders are optimistic about the year ahead.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) expect economic conditions to improve over the next 12 months while only 8% expect them to deteriorate.
Alberta's outlook also appears stronger than the national one.
Taken together with the Bank of Canada's latest Business Outlook Survey, these results suggest the outlook has improved more in Alberta and the Prairies than elsewhere in Canada, likely reflecting the province's large oil and gas sector where the Bank found business conditions improving since the start of the year due to a better policy environment and proposed new projects.
Optimism is showing up in business expectations and plans.
Half (51%) of business leaders expect revenues to grow faster than last year, 55% plan to increase capital investment, and half plan to add staff. In each case, only a small minority expect declines or cuts.
Finding labour remains a challenge for almost half of businesses.
Though Alberta's tight labour market has eased in recent years, 47% of business leaders still report difficulty finding or retaining employees. Capacity, however, is less constrained: nearly two-thirds (63%) say they could meet an unexpected rise in demand with existing resources.
Cost pressure is building.
55% of business leaders expect input costs to rise faster than in the past year, while just 13% expect slower growth.
Government policy is the biggest barrier holding businesses back.
Asked to rate nine potential barriers to their growth, business leaders were clear that their biggest concern is regulation: 45% report the regulatory burden as a major barrier to their business — more than any other issue tested by a wide margin. Counting both major and moderate ratings, the focus shifts to the tax burden which leads at 82%, followed by input costs at 74%. Notably, even with almost half of businesses still struggling to hire, access to labour and skills ranks middle of the pack at 63% and well below taxes and regulation on the list of what's holding them back.
Meanwhile, carbon pricing sits in the lower half of that list; a majority (53%) still rate it a major or moderate barrier, but 32% say it is no barrier at all. The low ranking of U.S. trade uncertainty is perhaps more surprising, but it may reflect that Alberta faces the lowest effective U.S. tariff rate of any large province at less than 1%.
Alberta CEO Pulse Survey Results — Summer 2026
1. Do you think overall economic conditions for Alberta businesses will be better, worse, or about the same 12 months from now?
2. Over the next 12 months, do you expect your revenues to grow faster, slower, or at about the same pace as the past 12 months?
3. Over the next 12 months, do you plan to increase, decrease, or maintain your workforce?
4. Over the next 12 months, do you plan to increase, decrease, or maintain your capital investment?
5. Over the next 12 months, do you expect your input costs to rise faster, slower, or at about the same rate as the past 12 months?
6. If demand for your products or services increased unexpectedly, could you meet it with your current capacity?
7. Are you currently experiencing difficulty finding or retaining employees?
8. How much of a barrier is each of the following to your business?
The survey was fielded to Business Council of Alberta CEOs between June 25 and July 7, 2026, and is reflective of the broad base of the membership.
Media Inquiries
For more information on this project or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact: media@businesscouncilab.com