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October 26, 2017EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS AND HOURS, AUGUST 2017 
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings (including overtime, seasonally adjusted) increased $10.90 per week (1.3 per cent) from July 2017 to $869.71 in August 2017. The current level is up 2.5 per cent from its level in August of last year. Canadians' average weekly wages were up 0.9 per cent from July to $974.61 in August 2017, up 1.7 per cent from August of last year.
In general, changes in weekly earnings reflect a number of factors, including wage growth; changes in the composition of employment by industry, occupation and level of job experience; and average hours worked per week.
Across the country, monthly average wages were up in all provinces, the highest being in New Brunswick, where wages rose 2.5 per cent month to month. Year over year, all provinces saw increases, save for PEI, which stayed level with a year ago.
Through the first eight months of 2017, average weekly wages have been growing fastest in the Manitoba and Quebec (+2.2%), and in BC and Saskatchewan (+2.1%). In year to date terms, Nova Scotia's average weekly wages have averaged 1.3 per cent above the levels reported for the same period in 2016.
In August 2017, average weekly earnings increased 1.9 per cent (on a month to month basis) in Nova Scotia's goods sectors while service sector average wages were up 0.6 per cent.
On a year-to-date basis, average weekly earnings are 1.4 per cent higher in the first eight months of 2017, with a 1.8 per cent increase in the goods sector and a 1.2 per cent increase in the services-producing sector. Goods earnings showed increases in Construction and in the services sector, the largest increases were seen in Management of Companies and Administrative & Support.
EMPLOYMENT
In August 2017, Nova Scotia had 410,185 payroll employees, a 0.4 per cent increase from July, and a 1.7 per cent increase from levels observed in August of last year. Canada had 16.3 million employees, up 0.2 per cent from July 2017, and 2.4 per cent above levels observed in August 2016.
REFERENCE TABLES - YEAR-TO-DATE AVERAGE
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Employment, Payroll, and Hours. CANSIM Table 281-0063, 281-0049
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