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May 26, 2016JOB VACANCIES, FEBRUARY 2016 In the 3 months ending in February 2016, there were an average of 4,200 job vacancies in Nova Scotia (unadjusted for seasonality), contributing to a slightly higher job vacancy rate at 1.1 per cent.
Higher job vacancy rates indicate a tighter labour market, in which employers have greater difficulty filling positions.
After rising through 2014 and the first half of 2015, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rates have been trending down in recent months - signalling more slack in the labour market. This follows the national trend; vacancy rates have fallen in most provinces (except BC and NL), signalling greater difficulty in finding available positions.
The number of unemployed persons per job vacancy also signals slack or tightness in the labour market. Nova Scotia's unemployed-to-vacancy ratio has been rising for several months, as has the national ratio. In Nova Scotia, there are currently an average of 10.6 unemployed persons per job vacancy - up from 8.6 in February 2015.
British Columbia currently reports the tightest labour market conditions in Canada, with a job vacancy rate of 1.8 per cent and just 4.6 unemployed persons for each job vacancy. There have been notable increases in labour market slack in Saskatchewan and Alberta, which had previously reported the tightest labour markets in the country. Newfoundland and Labrador as well as Prince Edward Island report the most labour market slack in the country.
Source: Statistics Canada's Job Vacancies. CANSIM 284-0001 and 284-0003