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January 25, 2024PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, NOVEMBER 2023 Monthly (November 2023 vs October 2023, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 449,780 payroll employees in November 2023, down 0.9% (-4,288) compared to October 2023. Canada had 17.97 million employees, down 0.5% from October 2023. There were declines in all provinces except New Brunswick. The largest decline was in Quebec.
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings were $1,095.82 in November of 2023, an increase of $7.58 (+0.7%) from revised October 2023 results.
Nationally, average weekly earnings were $1,228.07, an increase of 0.6% (+$6.88) from average weekly earnings in October 2023. All provinces reported gains in average weekly earnings except Prince Edward Island, with the largest gain in Manitoba.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings in November 2023 were second lowest among provinces (ahead of only Prince Edward Island). Alberta reported the highest average weekly earnings.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in company management, professional and technical services, finance and insurance, and information and culture industries. The lowest average weekly earnings were reported in Nova Scotia's accommodations and food service industries, arts, entertainment and recreation, and retail trade.
In November 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly wages were 89.2% of the national average. Nova Scotia average weekly wages were below the comparable national average for every industry except health/social assistance. The smallest gaps were in accommodation and food services and retail trade. The largest gap was in forestry/logging (73.3% of the national average).
Year-over-year (November 2023 vs November 2022)
Compared with the same month in 2022, Nova Scotia's payroll employment grew by 2.1% (+9,443) in November 2023. This was higher than the national average gain of 1.3%. All provinces reported growth in payroll employment except Quebec, with the fastest gains in Alberta and Prince Edward Island.
Among the industries reported by Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia's largest industries of employment were health care and social assistance (which includes daycares), followed by retail trade and education.
Forestry and logging as well as company management had the fastest year-over-year growth in payroll employment in Nova Scotia. Finance and insurance reported the largest percentage decline in payroll employment.
Average weekly wages grew by 6.2% in Nova Scotia from November 2022 to November 2023. This was stronger than the national pace of 4.1%.
Average weekly wages grew by 4.1% across Canada from November 2022 to November 2023. There were gains in each province, with the fastest rise in Nova Scotia. Saskatchewan and Alberta reported the slowest gains.
Average weekly wages were up 2.7% in Nova Scotia's goods-producing industries and 6.8% in Nova Scotia's services-producing industries. Most of the industries reported year-over-year growth in average weekly wages with the largest increases in health care and social assistance as well as accommodation and food services and professional and technical services industries. Average weekly wages were down in real estate/rental/leasing, administrative/support/call centres, and construction industries.
Year-to-date (January-November 2023 vs January-November 2022)
In January-November 2023, Nova Scotia's payroll employment increased 2.8% over January- November 2022. Across Canada, payroll employment growth was 2.8% with gains in all provinces. Alberta reported the fastest rise in payroll employment while Newfoundland and Labrador reported the slowest growth rate.
In January-November 2023, forestry and logging, arts, entertainment and recreation, as well as construction, company management, and professional and technical services industries reported the fastest employment growth in percentage terms compared to the same period in 2022. Finance and insurance, information and culture, and retail trade reported the percentage declines.
In January-November 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings increased by 4.7% compared to the same period in 2022. National average weekly earnings were up 3.3% in the first eleven months of the year with gains in all provinces. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island reported the fastest gains in average weekly earnings while Alberta and Saskatchewan reported the slowest rises.
In January-November 2023, manufacturing, accommodation and food services, information and culture reported the fastest percentage gains in average weekly earnings compared to the same period in 2022. Public administration and real estate, rental and leasing reported the only percentage declines.
In January-November 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in professional and technical services industries. Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings averaged 88.5% of the national value for all industries in January-November 2023. All Nova Scotia industries reported average weekly earnings below their national counterparts. The gaps were narrowest in health and social assistance as well as retail trade. Public administration and real estate, rental and leasing workers in Nova Scotia reported the largest gaps in average weekly earnings compared with the national average for the industry.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0222-01 Employment, average hourly and weekly earnings (including overtime), and average weekly hours for the industrial aggregate excluding unclassified businesses, monthly, seasonally adjusted; Table 14-10-0223-01 Employment and average weekly earnings (including overtime) for all employees by province and territory, monthly, seasonally adjusted
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