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June 27, 2024PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, APRIL 2024 Monthly (April 2024 vs March 2024, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 455,798 payroll employees in April 2024, slightly up 0.03% (+146) compared to March 2024. Canada had 18.12 million employees, down 0.1% from March 2024. There were gains in four provinces, led by Prince Edward Island. The largest declines were reported in Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings were $1,106.36 in April of 2024, an increase of $3.11 (+0.3%) from revised March 2024 results.
Nationally, average weekly earnings were $1,240.18, an increase of 0.4% (+$5.24) from average weekly earnings in March 2024. Eight provinces reported gains in average weekly earnings, with the largest gain in Alberta. The largest decline was in New Brunswick.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings in April 2024 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 professional and technical services, information and culture, company management, and finance and insurance 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 April 2024, 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 accommodation/food services. The smallest gaps were in health/social assistance services, retail trade, and professional/technical services. The largest gap was in forestry/logging (79.1% of the national average).
Year-over-year (April 2024 vs April 2023)
Compared with the same month in 2023, Nova Scotia's payroll employment grew by 3.5% (+15,339) in April 2024. This was higher than the national average gain of 1.6%. All provinces reported growth in payroll employment, with the fastest gains in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island while the slowest gain was in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Among the industries reported by Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia's largest industries of employment were health care/social assistance (which includes daycares), followed by retail trade and education.
Public administration as well as health care/social assistance had the fastest year-over-year growth in payroll employment in Nova Scotia. Administrative support/call centres and arts/entertainment/recreation reported the largest percentage decline in payroll employment.
Average weekly wages grew by 4.2% in Nova Scotia from April 2023 to April 2024. This was stronger than the national pace of 3.7%.
Average weekly wages grew by 3.7% across Canada from April 2023 to April 2024. There were gains in each province, with the fastest rise in Prince Edward Island. New Brunswick reported the slowest gains.
Average weekly wages were up 0.6% in Nova Scotia's goods-producing industries and up 5.0% 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 wholesale trade, as well as arts/entertainment/recreation, and information/culture. Average weekly wages were down the most in education and administrative support/call centres.
Year-to-date (January-April 2024 vs January-April 2023)
In January-April 2024, Nova Scotia's payroll employment increased 2.3% over January-April 2023. Across Canada, payroll employment growth was 1.3% with gains in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador. Nova Scotia and Alberta reported the fastest rise in payroll employment.
In January-April 2024, health/social assistance as well as public administration, construction, and company management industries reported the fastest employment growth in percentage terms compared to the same period in 2023. Administrative support/call centres and forestry/logging reported the largest percentage declines.
In January-April 2024, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings increased by 5.2% compared to the same period in 2023. National average weekly earnings were up 4.0% in the first four months of the year with gains in all provinces. British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island reported the fastest gains in average weekly earnings while Alberta and Saskatchewan reported the slowest rise.
In January-April 2024, information/culture, health/social assistance, and accommodation/food services reported the fastest percentage gains in average weekly earnings compared to the same period in 2023. Declines were reported in finance/insurance and education services.
In January-April 2024, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in professional and technical services industries. Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings averaged 89.2% of the national value for all industries in January-April 2024. All Nova Scotia industries reported average weekly earnings below their national counterparts except health/social assistance. The gaps were narrowest in accommodation/food services as well as retail trade. Administrative support/call centre workers in Nova Scotia reported the largest gap 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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