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May 28, 2026JOB VACANCIES, MARCH 2026 Monthly (March vs February 2026, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 13,860 job vacancies in March 2026 with a vacancy rate of 2.9%, down 0.1 percentage point from the previous month.
Canadian employers were actively recruiting for 500,335 positions in March with the national job vacancy rate of 2.8%, unchanged for the third consecutive month. Among provinces, four reported lower vacancy rates, three were unchanged, and two increased compared to February. The highest vacancy rate was reported in Prince Edward Island, while the lowest was in Newfoundland in Labrador.
When compared to February 2026, the number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia declined 4.4% (-645 vacant positions). National job vacancies rose 0.5% (+2,570 vacant positions). Job vacancies rose in four provinces, led by Saskatchewan, while New Brunswick and Manitoba reported the fastest declines in vacant positions.
Year-over-year (March 2026 vs March 2025)
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate was unchanged compared to one year ago. Nationally, the job vacancy rate declined 0.1 percentage point compared to March 2025. Seven provinces reported lower job vacancy rates, with the largest percentage point decline reported in Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.4 percentage points). The largest increase in job vacancy rate was reported in Prince Edward Island. (+0.6 percentage points).
When compared to March 2025, the number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia rose 7.3% or by 945 vacancies. National job vacancies declined 3.2% or by 16,530 vacant positions. Seven provinces reported declines in the number of vacancies over the twelve-month period ending in March, led by Newfoundland and Labrador. Prince Edward Island reported the fastest rise in job vacancies.
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 fluctuated in a narrow band around 3.0% since mid-2024. Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate has been above or equal to the national rate for the last seventeen months.
Nova Scotia's job vacancies peaked at 22,775 in July 2022 and have been trending down. There was an increase in Nova Scotia job vacancies through the summer of 2025, followed by a decrease in the autumn months.
Canada job vacancy rate and job vacancies by industry, March 2026
Nationally, accommodation/food services, personal/repair services, and health care/social assistance had the highest job vacancy rates. The lowest vacancy rates were in education, company management and utilities. Construction and health care/social assistance reported the largest percentage point declines in the vacancy rate. Mining/oil/gas, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, admin/support/waste management, and accommodation/food services reported higher vacancy rates compared to a year ago.
Health care and social assistance had the highest number of vacancies in Canada at 93,220 in March 2026 and experienced the most significant decline in the number of vacancies (-11,905).
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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