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November 30, 2018COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES Q3 2018 
Nova Scotia's seasonally adjusted employee compensation (wages+salaries+employer social contributions) increased 1.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2018 to $5.84 billion. Compared to the third quarter of 2017 compensation was up 3.0 per cent, a faster pace than the previous three quarters.
The wages and salaries portion of employee compensation was up 1.5 per cent to $5.00 billion in the third quarter; an increase of 2.9 per cent over the same quarter in 2017. Employers' social contributions increased 1.4 per cent in the quarter and were 3.2 per cent higher than the third quarter 2017.
For the quarter, Canada's employee compensation was up 0.7 per cent as compensation increased in all provinces except Alberta where it was essentially unchanged. Quarterly growth was fastest in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia.
Comparing the first three quarters of 2018 with the first three quarters of 2017, Canada's employee compensation was up 5.0 per cent. The fastest growth was in British Columbia (+6.3%), Quebec (+5.7%), and Ontario (+5.5%). While the lowest growth rates was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador (-1.6%) and Saskatchewan (+1.2%). Year-to-date, Nova Scotia's employee compensation has risen 2.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2017.
Comparing the seasonally unadjusted data for first three quarters of 2018 with the first three quarters of 2017, total wages and salaries increased 2.5 per cent in Nova Scotia. The total wages and salaries paid in the goods sector rose by 2.9 per cent. The total wages and salaries rose in agriculture, forestry and fishing (+3.4%), manufacturing (+4.2%), construction (+0.9%) and utilities (+6.4%) while there was a decline in and mining and oil and gas extraction (-2.7%).
Among private sector service sectors, growth was strongest in professional services (+4.1%) followed by transportation and warehousing (+3.8%) and trade sector (+2.8%). Total wages and salaries in information and cultural industries are 4.0 per cent or $11.7 million lower for the first three quarters of 2018 compared to the first three quarters of 2017.
Total wages and salaries were up for Educational services (+2.6%), Health Care and Social Assistance (+4.8%), Federal public administration (+1.5%) and Local government (+3.8%) and declined 0.4 per cent for Provincial public administration. Military wages and salaries were down 6.8 per cent compared to the first three quarters of 2017 when a one-time lump-sum payment lifted compensation in the sector.
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.
Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0205-01 Wages, salaries and employers' social contributions (x 1,000)
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