novascotia.ca - Nova Scotia Canada - Government of Nova Scotia

For additional information relating to this article, please contact:

Thomas Storring	Director – Economics and Statistics
Tel: 902-424-2410	Email: Thomas.Storring@novascotia.ca

July 30, 2015
EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS AND HOURS, MAY 2015

Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings (including overtime, seasonally adjusted) decreased $9.77 per week (-1.2%) from April to $828.54 in May 2015.  This is 0.7 per cent above the level in May of last year. Canadians' average weekly wages decreased 0.6 per cent from April to $948.15 in May 2015, a 1.4 percent increase over May 2014.

This month, all provinces except Manitoba, Saskatchewan and BC showed monthly decreases in average weekly wages. On a year-over-year basis, all provinces average wages increased with PEI growing the most, at 5.1 percent year over year. On a year to date basis, PEI has the highest growth (3.8%), while BC has the lowest (1.7%). Nova Scotia's  year-to-date average weekly earnings were $832.38, a 2.0 per cent increase over the same time period last year. 



In May 2015, earnings in goods producing industries in Nova Scotia decreased 2.2 percent on a month to month basis largely on decreases in manufacturing wages, and increased 1.9 percent year-over-year. Service producing industries wages decreased 1.0 percent month to month, and increased 0.4 percent compared to May 2014 (all figures are seasonally adjusted).

On a year to date basis, goods industries' wages were up 2.2 per cent over the first five months of 2015 (compared to the first five months of 2014), and services wages were up 2.1 per cent. Overall, the industrial aggregate increased by 2.0 percent.

EMPLOYMENT

In May 2015, Nova Scotia had 401,697 payroll employees, an increase of 0.6 percent compared to last month, which is level with a year ago (401,612 in May 2014). Canada had 15.7 million employees, 0.1 per cent higher than last month, and 1.1 percent higher than a year ago. On a year to date basis, payroll employment in Nova Scotia is up 0.1 per cent compared to last year, and payroll employment for Canada is up 1.3 per cent. 

REFERENCE TABLES

Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Employment, Payroll, and Hours. CANSIM Table 281-0063