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August 28, 2025JOB VACANCIES, JUNE 2025 Monthly (June 2025 vs May 2025, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 14,425 job vacancies in June 2025 with a vacancy rate of 3.1%, up from 2.8% in May.
Canadian employers were actively recruiting for 491,970 positions in June with the national job vacancy rate edging up to 2.8% (from 2.7% in May). Five provinces reported higher job vacancy rates in June, while three provinces reported lower job vacancy rates and two were unchanged from the previous month. The highest vacancy rate was in Alberta and Nova Scotia, while the lowest vacancy rate was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador.
When compared to May 2025, the number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia rose 6.5% (+885 vacant positions) in June. National job vacancies rose 2.5% (+12,145 vacant positions). Job vacancies rose in six provinces with the fastest rise in Newfoundland and Labrador. Manitoba reported the fastest decline in vacancies compared to May.
Year-over-year (June 2025 vs June 2024)
When compared to June 2025, the job vacancy rate in Nova Scotia declined 0.2 percentage points. Nationally, the job vacancy rate declined 0.3 percentage points compared to June 2024. All provinces reported lower job vacancy rates compared to one year ago. Prince Edward Island reported the largest percentage point reduction in the job vacancy rate.
When compared to June 2024, the number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia declined 3.1% or by 460 vacancies. National job vacancies declined 10.7% or by 59,155 vacant positions. All provinces reported declines in the number of vacancies over the twelve-month period ending in June, led by Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia reported the smallest decline in job vacancies compared to June 2024.
Trend
Nationally, job vacancy rates have trended downward after peaking in April-May 2022.
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate peaked in the spring of 2022 and has also been on a downward trend. Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate has been above the national average for the most recent three months.
Nova Scotia's job vacancies peaked at 22,775 in July 2022 and have been trending down. Job vacancies have declined at a slower pace from the end of 2023 through 2024. Job vacancies have risen over the last three months.
Canada job vacancy rate and job vacancies by industry, June 2025
Nationally, accommodation/food services, health care/social assistance and personal/repair services had the highest job vacancy rates. The lowest vacancy rates were in education, company management, utilities, and mining/oil/gas. Information/culture, finance/insurance, real estate/leasing, and personal/repair reported higher job vacancy rates compared to one year ago, while professional/technical services was unchanged. All other industries reported lower job vacancy rates compared to one year ago at the national level.
Health care and social assistance had the highest number of vacancies at 98,500 in June 2025. Compared to June 2024, the number of vacancies declined in most industries, with the exception of information/culture, finance/insurance, real estate/leasing, and personal/repair, which reported higher job vacancies
Notes: The job vacancy rate is the percentage of job positions (both filled and vacant) that are vacant. 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.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection was suspended from April to October 2020. There remains a break in this data series.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0432-01 Job vacancies, payroll employees, and job vacancy rate by provinces and territories, monthly, adjusted for seasonality, Table 14-10-0406-01 Job vacancies, payroll employees, and job vacancy rate by industry sector, monthly, adjusted for seasonality
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