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December 17, 2019JOB VACANCIES AND WAGES, Q3 2019 Statistics Canada has released its quarterly job vacancy and wage survey (unadjusted for seasonality) for the third quarter of 2019. This release provides data on the portion of jobs in a particular region, sector or occupation that are vacant. It also provides information on the wages offered on vacant positions as well as education and experience requirements. 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.
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate was 3.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2019, representing 13,435 job vacancies (these data are unadjusted for seasonality and typically report more labour market slack in the winter months).
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate is higher than the 2.8 per cent vacancy rate (11,560 vacancies) observed at the same time in 2018. The national job vacancy rate was 3.3 per cent, unchanged from the third quarter of 2018.
Across Canada, Q3 2019 job vacancy rates were highest in British Columbia, Quebec and Prince Edward Island. The lowest job vacancy rates were reported in Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. Compared to Q3 2018, vacancy rates increased the most in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Vacancy rates declined in Prince Edward Island, Alberta and British Columbia.
The average wage offered for a vacant position in Q3 2019 was $17.65 per hour in Nova Scotia, down from $17.70 in Q3 2018. The national average wage offered increased by $0.30 over Q3 2018 to $21.25 per hour.
Compared with Q3 2018, the average wage offered increased by 1.4 per cent nationally. Average wages on vacant positions are highest in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia, and lowest in the Maritime provinces. Average wages offered on vacant positions declined in the Maritimes and Manitoba.
Among Nova Scotia's economic regions, the Q3 2019 job vacancy rates were highest in Halifax, followed by the North Shore and Annapolis Valley. The lowest job vacancy rate was in Cape Breton. There has been notable tightening of labour markets over the last year in the North Shore and Halifax.
Compared with Q3 2018, average wages on vacant positions increased in the Annapolis Valley (+2.20/hour) and Cape Breton (+1.75/hour) regions.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's Q3 2019 job vacancy rates were lower than the national average in every category except professional/technical services, health care/social assistance, accommodation/food services and other services. Suppressed data are labeled as 'n/a'.
Compared to the national average, the wages offered for vacant positions in Nova Scotia were lower for all sectors in Q3 2019 except public administration. The largest wage differences found in professional/technical services, mining/oil and gas, and real estate/rentals.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rates have increased the most over the last year (Q3 2019 vs Q3 2018) in other services, professional/technical services and retail trade. Vacancy rates declined the most in wholesale trade, transportation, and administrative/waste management.
Nova Scotia's average hourly wages on vacant positions are highest in utilities and public administration in Q3 2019. The fastest wage gains (Q3 2019 vs Q3 2018) were in finance/insurance, public administration, real estate/rental and manufacturing. Average wages offered on vacant positions fell in professional/technical services, retail and wholesale trade, information/cultural, agriculture/forestry/fishing and health care.
Of the 13,435 job vacancies reported in Nova Scotia during Q3 2019, the largest number (4,975) were in sales and service occupations. Sales/service vacancies increased 3.9 per cent compared to the same period last year. Vacancies are up for all occupational categories, with education/law/community/government occupations increasing the most in percentage terms.
Average wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia during Q3 2019 were highest for management occupations, followed by natural/applied sciences and health occupations. Manufacturing/utilities, natural resources and agriculture, and sales/service occupations had the lowest wages offered on vacant positions in Q3 2019.
In Q3 2019, 62.3 per cent of vacant positions in Nova Scotia required high school or lower levels of education, up from 60.7 per cent of vacancies in Q3 2018. A lower proportion of vacant positions required an education level beyond high school in Q3 2019, accounting for 37.7 per cent of vacancies compared to 39.3 per cent in Q3 2018
Wages offered for vacant positions requiring high school or lower education were less than wages offered on vacancies requiring more education. The highest and fastest growth in wages offered (compared to Q3 2018) were for positions requiring university education above a bachelor's level.
The largest number of vacant positions require less than one year of experience, with vacancies at this experience level increasing 12.1 per cent compared to Q3 2018. The average wage offered on vacant positions increased for positions requiring less than one year, 5 to 8 years and 8 or more years of experience.
JVWS data are not seasonally adjusted. Therefore, quarter-to-quarter comparisons should be interpreted with caution as they may reflect seasonal movements.
Note: The data referenced above is from the quarterly Job Vacancy and Wages survey (JVWS). Statistics Canada also publishes monthly job vacancy data in from the Job Vacancy Statistics (JVS) component of the Survey of Payroll Employment and Hours. Due to differences in the target population and sample sizes, the job vacancies reported in the JVWS tend to be higher than those reported in the JVS.
Source: Statistics Canada.
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