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August 27, 2026JOB VACANCIES, JUNE 2026 Monthly (June vs May 2026, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 12,550 job vacancies in June 2026, up 2.2% (+265 vacancies) from May 2026.
Canadian employers were actively recruiting for 509,090 positions in June with the national job vacancy rate of 2.8%, unchanged from last month. Among provinces, four reported lower vacancy rates, two were unchanged, and four increased compared to May. The highest vacancy rate was reported in British Columbia, while the lowest was in Newfoundland in Labrador.
National job vacancies increased by 2.1% (+10,450 vacant positions). Job vacancies fell in four provinces, led by New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island reported the fastest rise in vacant positions.
Year-over-year (June 2026 vs June 2025)
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate fell 0.5 percentage points compared to one year ago. Nationally, the job vacancy rate did not change compared to June 2025. Five provinces reported lower job vacancy rates, with the largest percentage point decline reported in Nova Scotia. The largest increase in job vacancy rate was reported in Prince Edward Island.
When compared to June 2025, the number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia fell 13.9% or by 2,025 vacancies. National job vacancies increased 2.8% or by 13,810 vacant positions. Four provinces reported declines in the number of vacancies over the twelve-month period ending in June, 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 the spring of 2022 and have been unchanged from 2.8% since December 2025.
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate peaked in the spring of 2022 and has also been on a downward trend. While Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate has fluctuated in a narrow band around 3.0% since mid-2024, it has since fallen to 2.5% and 2.6% in May and June 2026.
In May 2026 Nova Scotia’s job vacancy rate fell below the national average for the first time since October 2024 and has been its lowest rate recorded since August 2018.
Nova Scotia's job vacancies peaked at 22,585 in July 2022 and subsequently trended down and stabilized in the middle of 2024. 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, June 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. Information and culture reported the largest percentage point declines in the vacancy rate. Manufacturing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas and professional/technical reported the highest percentage point increases compared to a year ago.
Health care and social assistance had the highest number of vacancies in Canada at 93,590 in June 2026 and also experienced the largest decline of 4,580.
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 May 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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