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May 30, 2019JOB VACANCIES, FEBRUARY 2019 In the 3 months ending in February 2019, there were an average of 6,500 job vacancies in Nova Scotia (unadjusted for seasonality). This is 1,400 more than reported in the same period of 2018.
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate, the share of labour demand that is unfilled, was 1.7 per cent in February. This is 0.4 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. The national job vacancy rate was 2.0 per cent.
Across Canada, job vacancy rates are highest in British Columbia (2.5 per cent), followed by Ontario and Quebec. The lowest job vacancy rates were in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. Compared with the same period last year, the job vacancy rate has increased in five provinces with the largest increases in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
There were an average of 5.2 unemployed persons per job vacancy in Nova Scotia in the 3 months ending in February 2019, down from 8.0 in the three months leading up to February 2018. The ratio of unemployed persons per vacancy has fallen substantially over the last year, signalling tighter labour markets in Nova Scotia. The national ratio of unemployed persons per job vacancy (3.7) was little changed over 2018.
Six provinces reported fewer unemployed persons per job vacancy in February 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 2.5 per cent and just 2.2 unemployed persons for each job vacancy. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the most labour market slack, with 11.0 unemployed persons for each job vacancy and a job vacancy rate of 1.5 per cent, though its labour markets have tightened considerably over the last year.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0224-01 Job vacancies, labour demand and job vacancy rate, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality,
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