Alberta tops in Canada for 'social mobility,' Quebec dead last, finds study

OTTAWA — The dream of upward mobility is under threat across Canada, but most alive in Alberta, according to a new set of provincial rankings.

Alberta came out on top of a social mobility index created by researchers at the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), measuring how feasible it is for residents to out-earn their parents and improve their living standards.

“Social mobility is what makes the difference between having agency in moving up the income ladder, or being stuck in inherited poverty,” said Justin Callais, one of the report’s co-authors.

Alberta notably had fewer legal and regulatory barriers to mobility than other provinces, making it easier for residents to pursue quality education and training, enter occupations and find adequate housing close to where they work.

Despite coming out on top, Alberta still had much room for improvement, earning just 57 of a possible 100 points. It fared especially poorly with respect to occupational licensing and regulatory takings.

Renaud Brossard, MEI’s vice president of communications, said the numbers should give no one cause for celebration.

“The fact no Canadian province gets a grade of 60 per cent or above is an indictment of the web of regulations that have cemented society in place and prevented so many from bettering their situation,” said Renaud. “Canadians rightly expect to see their hard work pay-off, and government policy should not stand in the way of that.”

The index uses data spanning from 2018 to 2024.

Co-author Vincent Geloso said the team found a clear link between physical mobility and social mobility.

“If you happen to live somewhere where there’s no economic opportunity, the quickest way to improve your lot is to go where the jobs are … So, if you ask me, the best single-shot way we can improve social mobility is by loosening regulations around housing and land use,” said Geloso.

Geloso noted that the number two ranked British Columbia could leapfrog Alberta if it adopted less restrictive housing and construction policies.

The index incorporates both policy-driven barriers to mobility and “natural barriers” like childhood poverty and family instability.

Quebec finished 10th out of the 10 provinces in both categories, hindered by both low social capital and high government-imposed barriers to mobility.

Brossard noted that Quebec has compulsory certification rules in place for 25 trades across the construction industry, more than twice as many as any other province.

Workers who want to enter these trades must undergo months of training and apply for a government-issued license.

“By doing so, the (Quebec) government is increasing the opportunity cost for would-be workers in trades such as painting and carpentry, for instance,” said Brossard. “This is, of course, one specific example from one province, but every time governments reduce opportunities for workers in such a way, it makes it harder for them to climb that extra rung in the income ladder.”

Quebec also fared poorly on indicators of social connectedness like family intactness and hours spent volunteering.

The western provinces generally ranked higher on the index than Quebec and Atlantic Canada, with Ontario falling right in the middle at number five.

National Post rmohamed@postmedia.com

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