There are many opportunities in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) for jobs in the service and retail industries. According to RMWB Census 2006, 19 per cent of the workforce in Fort McMurray is employed in the service and retail industries.

Generally, positions in these fields do not require schooling until a person gets to management levels, but even then many people often find they can move up in a few years from an entry-level position to supervisor to manager. There is definite room for advancement in this industry. Personal characteristics to have are enjoying customer service, working well with a group and not minding shift work.

Good places to find job postings are in the Fort McMurray Today classifieds and career ads, and on each of the employers’ websites. To see a list of major employers in Fort McMurray, visit (6 NOC) Sales and Service Occupations and (1 NOC) Business, Finance and Administrative Occupations (for jobs in shipping and receiving). Also, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service for more information on specific positions and pay.

For more information on Retail Careers, look at the June 2007 issue of the Labour Market News.