The Conference Board of Canada released a report in December 1999 forecasting that Edmonton's GDP will grow by 4.1% in 2000, the greatest gain of all major Canadian cities. Thereafter, the annual economic growth rate for the City is forecast to average 3.1% during the next five years. An additional 8,200 new jobs were added to the local economy in 1999, dropping the unemployment rate to 4.9% in February 2000. The economy is forecast to create an average of 7,200 jobs per year over the next five years and the unemployment rate will average 5.9% during this period. CMHC expects 9,500 jobs will be created in 2000.

Edmonton is the supply and service capital for Canada’s energy sector. There are 15 mega-projects valued at $1 billion or more in the Edmonton service area. These projects are either under construction or are proposed to begin within two years. The total value of all projects valued at $2.0 million or greater is more than $43 billion. These projects are predicted to have a major impact on the Edmonton economy over the next few years.

The population in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area is currently 891,000 and is expected to reach 1,000,000 in 2007. This represents an average growth rate of 1.4% per year. The 1999 Metro Edmonton population is 648,300 and is forecast to reach 693,000 in the next five years, which also represents an annual growth rate of 1.4%.