Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators in Calgary

The employment outlook will be Moderate for specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators (NOC 84120) in the Calgary region for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

• Occupations in agriculture continue to be in demand due to difficulties with recruitment and retention in the sector.
• Employment in agriculture has been on the decline since 2014, decreasing by 42% from 2014 to 2024.
• The risk of extreme weather may cause financial hardship for some farm operations and impact employment opportunities.
• Demand for this occupation is driven by global demand and trade for food commodities. Some food commodities are currently tariff exposed and subject to economic cycles.

Here are some key facts about specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators in the Calgary region:

• Approximately 950 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Agriculture (NAICS 111, 112, 1151, 1152): 65%
  • Information, cultural, arts, entertainment and recreation services (NAICS 51, 71): 10%
  • Educational services (NAICS 61): 6%