Nearly half of Albertans are living paycheque to paycheque, according to a national payroll survey that paints a grim economic picture for many people in this province.

Both nationally and in Alberta, 48 per cent of people say it would be difficult to meet their financial obligations if their paycheque was delayed by a single week, according to the survey by the Canadian Payroll Association.

Alberta also has the largest percentage of people who say they are not saving enough for retirement.

A whopping 81 per cent of residents say they have put aside less than a quarter of what they will need in retirement — higher than the national average of 75 per cent.

And 25 per cent report they probably could not come up with $2,000 if an emergency arose within the next month.

Emergency savings account important

Mark Kalinowski, who works with the Credit Counselling Society in Calgary, sees many who are sinking under the weight of their debt.

"If I were going to make a suggestion to people, I would definitely suggest that they start emergency savings accounts," he said.

Kalinowski sees clients from every economic bracket, but has also seen a recent jump in middle-income workers.

But the report says the economic outlook is bleak, as many employees do not expect their financial situation to get better any time soon. Just 33 per cent nationally and 36 per cent in Alberta expect the economy to improve over the next year.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent say they feel overwhelmed by debt. The survey covered 3,600 workers nationally, including 447 from Alberta, and was conducted in July.