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For additional information relating to this article, please contact:

Thomas StorringDirector – Economics and Statistics
Tel: 902-424-2410Email: thomas.storring@novascotia.ca

April 25, 2019
JOB VACANCIES, JANUARY 2019

In the 3 months ending in January 2019, there were an average of 6,300 job vacancies in Nova Scotia (unadjusted for seasonality).  This is 1,300 more than reported in the same period of 2018.

Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate, the share of labour demand that is unfilled, was 1.6 per cent in January. This is 0.3 percentage points higher than observed for the same period in 2018. Job vacancy rates were lower in the early months of 2018, but rose through the second half of the year, eclipsing the previous peak in the fall of 2017.  

Across Canada, job vacancy rates are highest in British Columbia (2.3 per cent), followed by Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. The lowest job vacancy rates were in Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan. Compared with the same period last year, the job vacancy rate has increased in four provinces with the largest increase in  Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. 

There were an average of 5.2 unemployed persons per job vacancy in Nova Scotia in the 3 months ending in January 2019, down from 8.0 in the three months leading up to January 2018.  The ratio of unemployed persons per vacancy is signalling some labour market tightness in Nova Scotia.  The national ratio of unemployed persons per job vacancy was little changed over 2018.

Five provinces reported fewer unemployed persons per job vacancy in January 2019 compared with the same period last year.  British Columbia currently reports the tightest labour market conditions in Canada, with a job vacancy rate of 2.3 per cent and just 2.3 unemployed persons for each job vacancy. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the most labour market slack, with 12.4 unemployed persons for each job vacancy and a job vacancy rate of 1.3 per cent. 

Source: Statistics Canada's Job Vacancies. Tables 14-10-0224-01 (formerly 284-0001), and 14-10-0226-01 (formerly 284-0003)



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