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However, most of the gains were in lower-paying jobs, suggesting that while there was overall gain in employment, the new jobs were not of great quality.

Scott Crockatt with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce said there are three challenges businesses will face in the new year, the first being unemployment.

“Calgary’s unemployment rate is now back under eight per cent so we no longer have the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the country, however, there is still a long way to go,” Crockatt said.

Adding to that is concern over entry-level work available for young people.

“It’s becoming very hard to come by, and especially minimum-wage employers report to us that more than half of them said they had to lay off some of that staff.”

The second challenge, Crockatt said, is the layered costs of government taxation and regulations.

“Over the past year and a little bit before that, businesses have seen a whole host of increased costs. Workplace legislation changes on the employment labour codes, the carbon levy . . . as well as minimum-wage increases and, a little bit before that, both federal and provincial corporate tax increases,” Crockatt said.

“The impact of one cost after another being layered on top is really having a harmful impact on businesses.”

The third challenge, Crockatt noted, is seeing the positive economic indicators translate into actual business success.

“The economic indicators are all showing positively but businesses are not necessarily feeling this in their pocketbook yet. The challenge for businesses is how they can turn those economic indicators into results for them.”