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December 18, 2023JOB VACANCIES AND WAGES, Q3 2023 Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate (seasonally adjusted) was 4.1% in the third quarter of 2023, representing 18,125 job vacancies. Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate is down 1.0 percentage point from the 5.1% (22,095 vacancies) observed during the third quarter of 2022.
The national job vacancy rate was 3.9%, down from 5.4% in the third quarter of 2022.
Across Canada, Q3 2023 job vacancy rates were highest in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The lowest job vacancy rate was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. Compared to Q3 2022, vacancy rates decreased in all provinces.
The average wage offered (unadjusted) for a vacant position in Q3 2023 was $23.55 per hour in Nova Scotia, up 13.2% from $20.80 in Q3 2022. The national average wage increased to $25.60 per hour, up 5.8% from $24.20 in Q3 2022.
Average wages on vacant positions were highest in Ontario and British Columbia, and lowest in Prince Edward Island. Average wages offered on vacant positions increased in all provinces.
Among Nova Scotia's economic regions, Q3 2023 job vacancy rates were highest in the North Shore region and lowest in Cape Breton. Southern Nova Scotia saw the largest decline in the vacancy rate compared to one year ago.
Compared with Q3 2022, average wages on vacant positions increased in all regions.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's Q3 2023 job vacancy rates were higher than the national average in construction, manufacturing, professional and technical services, management of companies, administrative and waste management, health care and social assistance (including daycares), and accommodation and food services.
Compared to the national average, the wages offered for vacant positions in Nova Scotia were lower for all sectors in Q3 2023 except administration and waste management. The largest wage differences in percentage terms were found in information and cultural services.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rates declined the most compared to Q3 2022 in information and cultural services, finance and insurance, and accommodation and food services. Suppressed data are labelled as 'n/a'.
For sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's average hourly wages on vacant positions were highest in professional and technical services, utilities and mining, oil and gas. The fastest percentage wage gains (Q3 2023 vs Q3 2022) were in administrative/waste management followed by agriculture.
Average wages on vacant positions in information and cultural and management of companies declined over this period.
Of the 18,650 (unadjusted) job vacancies reported in Nova Scotia during Q3 2023, the largest number (5,825) were in sales and service occupations. Sales/service vacancies declined 33.4% (2,925 job vacancies) compared to the same quarter of 2022. Among occupations with data, vacancies declined for every occupational category except for health occupations.
Average wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia during Q3 2023 were highest for management, natural/applied sciences and health occupations. Occupations in sales and service had the lowest wages offered on vacant positions in Q3 2023.
In Q3 2023, 56.4% of vacant positions in Nova Scotia required high school or lower levels of education, down from 64.2% of vacancies in Q3 2022. Vacancies increased for positions that require a university education, 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 Q3 2022) were for positions requiring a university degree below the bachelor's level. Wages offered were up compared to the same quarter in 2022 for all education levels.
Compared to Q3 2022, the number of vacant positions in Nova Scotia by experience level declined in all experience categories. 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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