It's official: Alberta has the best performing labour market in North America.

That's according to a Fraser Institute study that saw the rest of the top 10 jurisdictions in the United States.

But it's no surprise to many, including Frank Atkins with the University of Calgary economic department. "We've had one of the best performing economies in Canada for about five years now," he said, noting that a misinterpretation of a slower growing economy has led some to fear the idea of a recession.

He sees Calgary as having a great deal to do with Alberta's success, but said that there are low unemployment rates and then there are really low unemployment rates, and we're seeing more of the latter.

"It's sort of an ideal situation where everyone who wants a job actually has a job, but that's an ideal state," Atkins said. "The problem with the Alberta state is that we're beyond low unemployment so much so that there's a shortage of labour."

Though he said it may be an envious position, the realization unskilled labourers from other provinces are coming to is that a higher paycheck in Alberta doesn't mean more money since everything is more expensive here. In Canada, BC ranked second and Saskatchewan came in third.