Article content

Job hunters are now competing for fewer positions across Alberta, with the number of vacancies down by 35,000, making up nearly half the country-wide decline reported Thursday.

Vacancies in the province have declined a staggering 48 per cent from the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016, Statistics Canada says.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or New graduates struggle as job vacancies in Alberta down 48 per cent from last year Back to video

Caitlin Chomyn, who graduated from MacEwan University with a commerce degree this spring, said Thursday the job market is “very brutal” now.

“The jobs are seemingly limited … I’m competing against people who have a lot more experience and it’s very hard to get your foot in the door,” said Chomyn.

She said even unpaid internships are hard to come by because companies prefer to give them to students who will be content with them, rather than graduates who will always be looking elsewhere.

“It’s tough competition anywhere you go,” said Chomyn, who worries that a “slow start” will have long-term consequences for her career and future earnings potential.