Migration to Alberta is suffering as the province grapples with ongoing weakness in the energy sector.

In the fourth quarter of 2015, Alberta's net interprovincial migration was negative for the first time since 2010 – meaning, more people left Alberta than moved there.

An estimated 12,247 people left Alberta for other provinces and territories in the quarter, while 11,270 moved to the province from elsewhere in Canada, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. In previous quarters of 2015, Alberta's inflows were higher than outflows, despite the oil crash.

However, the province's labour market is continuing to deteriorate, no doubt impacting migration. Alberta's unemployment rate hit 7.9 per cent in February, a full 2.5 percentage points higher than a year earlier.

Despite the outflow, Alberta's population continues to climb. On a year-over-year basis, it saw the biggest percentage increase among the provinces, according to Statscan estimates released Wednesday.