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July 27, 2018JOB VACANCIES, APRIL 2018 In the 3 months ending in April 2018, there was an average of 5,300 job vacancies in Nova Scotia (unadjusted for seasonality). This is 900 higher than reported in the same month of 2017.
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate, the share of labour demand that is unfilled, was 1.4 per cent in April. After rising somewhat through 2017, the job vacancy rate peaked at 1.6 per cent in September and October 2017. The job vacancy rate has declined somewhat since, signaling some slack in the labour market over the winter. As the data are not adjusted for seasonality, some of this slack in the labour market may be a seasonal phenomenon. A similar trend was seen for the same period in 2016 and 2015.
Across Canada, job vacancy rates are highest in British Columbia (2.6 per cent), and lowest in Newfoundland and Labrador (1.0 per cent). Vacancy rates are up compared with the same month of 2017 in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador.
There were an average of 7.7 unemployed persons per job vacancy in Nova Scotia in the 3 months ending in April, down from 10.2 in the three months leading up to April 2017.
After declining through 2017, the ratio of unemployment-to-job-vacancy has increased in recent months, signalling slack in Nova Scotia's labour market. However, this also appears to be an emerging seasonal trend as recent results are is similar to levels reported at the end of 2016.
All provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador report fewer unemployed persons per job vacancy in April 2018 compared with the same month last year. British Columbia currently reports the tightest labour market conditions in Canada, with a job vacancy rate of 2.6 per cent and just 2.3 unemployed persons for each job vacancy. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the labour market conditions signaling the most slack, with 21.8 unemployed persons for each job vacancy and a job vacancy rate of 1.0%.
Source: Statistics Canada's Job Vacancies. CANSIM 14-10-0224-01 (formerly 284-0001), and 14-10-0226-01 (formerly 284-0003)
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