Statistics Canada released today monthly results from the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS) for February 2021.

Nova Scotia had 11,330 job vacancies in February 2021 with a vacancy rate of 2.8% (unadjusted for seasonality). Canadian employers were seeking workers for an estimated 505,920 positions in February with a vacancy rate of 3.3%. The highest vacancy rates were reported for British Columbia (4.9%) and Quebec (3.6%). Prince Edward Island had the lowest vacancy rate at 1.8%.

Nationally, health care and social assistance sector had the highest number of job vacancies at 112,755, with a job vacancy rate of 5.2% (not seasonally adjusted). This was the highest job vacancy rate among industries, followed by other services (4.6%) and professional, scientific and technical services (4.4%). Management of companies (0.9%), Education services and utilities (both 1.1%) had the lowest vacancy rates in February 2021.

Notes: The job vacancy rate is a key indicator of labour market conditions. 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. 

Information on monthly job vacancies will continue in future Statistics Canada releases, and a more detailed analysis will be released with quarterly estimates from the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey.

Sources: Statistics Canada Tables 14-10-0371-01 and 14-10-0372-01