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March 27, 2025PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, JANUARY 2025 Monthly (January 2025 vs December 2024, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 460,594 payroll employees in January 2025, down 0.41% (-1,901) compared to December 2024. Canada had 18.29 million employees, up 0.15% from December 2024. There were declines in six provinces, led by Saskatchewan. New Brunswick reported the fastest growth.
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings were $1,148.93 in January 2025, a gain of $9.48 (+0.83%) from December 2024.
Nationally, average weekly earnings were $1,294.26, an increase of 0.24% (+$3.09) from average weekly earnings in December 2024. Eight provinces reported increases in average weekly earnings, with the largest increase in Alberta. The only declines were reported in Québec and Ontario.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings in January 2025 were second lowest among provinces, ahead of Prince Edward Island. Alberta reported the highest average weekly earnings.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in professional/technical services, finance/insurance, and company management industries. The lowest average weekly earnings were reported in Nova Scotia's accommodations/food service industries, retail trade, and arts/entertainment/recreation. (Note: no data were available for utilities and mining for these periods, or real estate/rental/leasing, forestry/logging, information/culture in January 2025).
In January 2025, Nova Scotia's average weekly wages were 88.8% of the national average. Nova Scotia average weekly wages were below the comparable national average for every industry, with the smallest gaps reported for accommodation/food services and health/social assistance. The largest gaps were reported in company management (85.3% of the national average) and finance/insurance (85.4% of the national average).
Year-over-year (January 2025 vs January 2024)
Compared with the same month in 2024, Nova Scotia's payroll employment grew by 1.3% (+6,005) in January 2025. This was faster than the national average gain of 1.1%. All provinces reported growth in payroll employment with the fastest gains in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador reported the slowest gains.
Among the industries reported on by Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia's largest industries of employment were health care/social assistance (which includes daycares), followed by retail trade and education. (Note: no data were available for utilities and mining for these periods, or real estate/rental/leasing, forestry/logging, information/culture in January 2025).
Health care/social assistance as well as construction had the fastest year-over-year growth in payroll employment in Nova Scotia. Finance/insurance reported the largest percentage decline in payroll employment.
Average weekly wages grew by 5.0% in Nova Scotia from January 2024 to January 2025. This was weaker than the national pace of 5.5%.
Average weekly wages grew by 5.5% across Canada from January 2024 to January 2025. There were gains in each province, with the fastest increase in Saskatchewan. Manitoba and British Columbia reported the slowest gains.
Average weekly wages were up 4.3% in Nova Scotia's goods-producing industries and up 5.0% in Nova Scotia's services-producing industries. All of the reported industries except retail trade and company management had year-over-year growth in average weekly wages with the largest increases in transportation, finance/insurance, and professional/technical services.
(Note: no data were available for utilities and mining for these periods, or real estate/rental/leasing, forestry/logging, information/culture in January 2025).
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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