Which sequence represents the order of job shortages seen in Alberta in 2007 from most to least?

Which sequence represents the order of job shortages seen in Alberta in 2007 from most to least?

• A. Construction, Transportation, Retail, Resource development, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Agriculture, Education, Health, Social Services
• B. Manufacturing, Construction, Transportation, Resource development, Retail, Hospitality, Agriculture, Education, Health, Social Services
• C. Construction, Manufacturing, Transportation, Resource development, Retail, Agriculture, Hospitality, Education, Health, Social Services
• D. Construction, Transportation, Manufacturing, Resource development, Retail, Hospitality, Agriculture, Education, Health, Social Services

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is understanding which sectors faced the tightest labour markets during Alberta’s 2007 boom, and ordering them from the most to the least shortage. In that year, demand for workers grew fastest in hands-on, skilled-trade roles tied to construction and transportation, as infrastructure and movement of goods expanded rapidly. That makes those sectors the most short of workers, so they appear first. Manufacturing follows because factories and plants also needed more skilled workers to meet rising output. Resource development (oil sands and related projects) comes next, since the energy boom pushed demand for technical and craft skills. After the core industrial sectors, consumer-facing areas like retail and hospitality still faced shortages but not as acutely. Agriculture tends to be less impacted by urban boom cycles, so it sits further down. Education and health require longer training pipelines, often resulting in steadier supply relative to demand, and social services commonly show the smallest shortage among these sectors. So the sequence reflects where the shortage was strongest first, ending with where it was weakest.

The main idea here is understanding which sectors faced the tightest labour markets during Alberta’s 2007 boom, and ordering them from the most to the least shortage. In that year, demand for workers grew fastest in hands-on, skilled-trade roles tied to construction and transportation, as infrastructure and movement of goods expanded rapidly. That makes those sectors the most short of workers, so they appear first. Manufacturing follows because factories and plants also needed more skilled workers to meet rising output. Resource development (oil sands and related projects) comes next, since the energy boom pushed demand for technical and craft skills. After the core industrial sectors, consumer-facing areas like retail and hospitality still faced shortages but not as acutely. Agriculture tends to be less impacted by urban boom cycles, so it sits further down. Education and health require longer training pipelines, often resulting in steadier supply relative to demand, and social services commonly show the smallest shortage among these sectors. So the sequence reflects where the shortage was strongest first, ending with where it was weakest.