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September 19, 2023JOB VACANCIES AND WAGES, Q2 2023 Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate was 4.7% in the second quarter of 2023, representing 20,580 job vacancies. Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate is down 0.7 percentage points from the 5.4% (23,360 vacancies) observed during the second quarter of 2022.
The national job vacancy rate was 4.6%, down from 5.9% in the second quarter of 2022.
Across Canada, Q2 2023 job vacancy rates were highest in Prince Edward Island. The lowest job vacancy rate was reported in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador. Compared to Q2 2022, vacancy rates decreased in all provinces with the exception of Saskatchewan.
The average wage offered for a vacant position in Q2 2023 was $22.730 per hour in Nova Scotia, up 8.8% from $20.50 in Q2 2022. The national average wage increased to $25.10 per hour, up 4.4% from $24.05 in Q2 2022.
Average wages on vacant positions were highest in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, and lowest in Prince Edward Island. Average wages offered on vacant positions increased in all provinces with the exception of British Columbia where it remained the same from a year ago.
Among Nova Scotia's economic regions, Q2 2023 job vacancy rates were highest in North Shore and Southern Nova Scotia. The Annapolis Valley, and Halifax had larger declines in the job vacancy rates compared to the same quarter in 2022. Job vacancy rate data for Cape Breton was not available for Q2 2022.
Compared with Q2 2022, average wages on vacant positions increased in all regions.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's Q2 2023 job vacancy rates were higher than the national average in mining, oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, transportation, finance/insurance, real estate and rentals, professional and technical services, educational services, and other services.
Compared to the national average, the wages offered for vacant positions in Nova Scotia were lower for all sectors in Q2 2023 except management of companies. The largest wage differences in percentage terms were found in utilities.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rates declined the most compared to Q2 2022 in arts, enterntaintment and recreation, accommodation and food services, and other services sectors. Suppressed data are labelled as 'n/a'.
For sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's average hourly wages on vacant positions were highest in management of companies and utilities. The fastest percentage wage gains (Q2 2023 vs Q2 2022) were in administrative/support/waste management, piblic administration, other services, and management of companies.
Average wages on vacant positions in agriculture, transportation, information and cultural, real estate and rentals, professional and technical services, and education declined over this period.
Of the 20,580 job vacancies reported in Nova Scotia during Q1 2023, the largest number (5,925) were in sales and service occupations. Sales/service vacancies declined 28.7% (2,380 job vacancies) compared to the same quarter of 2022. Among occupations with data, vacancies increased in health, education, law, community and government, and trades, transport and equipment operators.
Average wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia during Q2 2023 were highest for management and natural/applied sciences occupations. Occupations in sales and service and manufacturing and utilities had the lowest wages offered on vacant positions in Q2 2023.
In Q2 2023, 58.9% of vacant positions in Nova Scotia required high school or lower levels of education, down from 64.6% of vacancies in Q2 2022. In percentage terms, vacancies increased for positions that require a university degree below bachelor's level, and post-graduate, but were lower in the other educational categories.
Wages offered for vacant positions requiring high school or lower education were on average less than wages offered on vacancies requiring more education. The fastest growth in wages offered (compared to Q2 2022) were for positions requiring no education. Wages offered were up compared to the same quarter in 2022 for all education levels with the exception of those requiring uniersity degree below bachelor's level.
Compared to Q2 2022, the number of vacant positions in Nova Scotia by experience level declined in all experience categories except for those requiring between 3 and 5 years of experience. The average wage offered on vacant positions increased for all experience categories.
Notes: Data collection activities were suspended from the start of the pandemic in March to September 2020. There remains a gap in the dataset for this survey.
This release provides data on the portion of jobs in a particular region, sector or occupation that are vacant. It also provides information on the wages offered on vacant positions as well as education and experience requirements. A higher job vacancy rate indicates a tighter labour market where it is more difficult for employers to find suitable candidates for the positions offered. A lower job vacancy rate signals labour market slack and potentially more job seekers competing for each vacant position.
JVWS data are not seasonally adjusted. Therefore, quarter-to-quarter comparisons should be interpreted with caution as they may reflect seasonal movements.
Source: Statistics Canada.
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