March 02, 2017COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES Q4 2016 
Nova Scotia's seasonally adjusted employee compensation (wages+salaries+employer social contributions) increased 0.6 per cent in the 4th quarter 2016 at $5.59 billion. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2015 compensation was up 1.3 per cent.
The wages and salaries portion of employee compensation was also up 0.6 per cent at $4.77 billion; an increase of 1.3 per cent over the same quarter 2015. Employers' social contribution increased 0.5 per cent in the quarter and were 1.2 per cent higher than the fourth quarter 2015.
For the quarter, Canada's employee compensation was up 1.4 per cent as compensation increased in all provinces. Nova Scotia was ranked 8th in terms of growth, tied with Manitoba and faster than Alberta. The fastest growth for the quarter was in New Brunswick (2.8%), followed by Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador which all had growth of 2 per cent or more.
Comparing 2016 with 2015, Canada's employee compensation was up 2.5 per cent. Growth was above the national rate in five provinces: Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Compensation fell in Saskatchewan (-0.2%) and Alberta (-3.3%).
Unadjusted data comparing the year 2016 with 2015 indicates that total wages and salaries paid in the goods sector rose by 1.0 per cent.
Increases in the agriculture/forestry/fishing, construction and utilities sectors offset falling pay in mining/oil/gas and manufacturing.
Most private service sectors reported rising wages and salaries with the exception of transportation and storage. The largest gains were reported in the wholesale/retail trade sectors were total wages and salaries rose 3.2 per cent.
There were also larger wage and salary gains reported in the education sector (which includes public and private institutions) and local government public administration. Health care/social assistance, and provincial and federal administration reported more limited growth while military payrolls continued their decline.
Note: comparison of wages and salaries by sector rely on data that are neither seasonally adjusted nor adjusted to reflect differences in pay periods from one year to the next.
Source: CANSIM table 382-0006