More people moving out of Alberta this year

The latest statistics show the number of people leaving Alberta for other provinces is on the rise.

Statistics Canada says nearly 17,600 Albertans moved elsewhere in Canada in the first three months of this year. That's up from 14,700 at the start of 2014and 10,000 during the same time period in 2013.

One moving company is reporting customers movingto B.C., Ontario and the East Coast.

"We have noticed a trend of people moving out of Alberta due to the lack of jobs, whether they're laid off or there's not as many lucrative positions available as there were maybe last year or the last previous three years," said Kevin Phone, vice president of the moving company Premiere Van Lines Calgary.

Alberta still leading growth

Susan Thompson, a research manager with Calgary Economic Development, saideven with this changeAlberta is still coming out ahead of other provinces.

More people moved to Alberta than moved out in the first three months of the year, resulting in a net gain of 6,700 people.

"We definitely did see a slowdown in our population growth during the last economic downturn and we are seeing one this time around," she said.

"The good news though is our population is still growing, just at a slower rate."

Even with the increase in people leaving Alberta, this province still leads the country in population growth with 15,365 people added in the first three months of the year.

Renters leaving first, says home seller

In her fifteen years as a Calgary real estate agent, Melanie James has seen Alberta's economy at its best and worst.

"I don't see people panicking the way they were back in 2009 , that's for sure," she said.

During this economic downturn, James saidthe real estate market is holding its own. But the rental market is taking a bit of a hit with higher vacancy rates.

"When our oil and gas goes down it's our blue collar workers that are out working in the fields, working in electrical, working in construction that tend to leave," she said.

Thomspon says Alberta is expected to start to recover in the new year.