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June 21, 2022JOB VACANCIES AND WAGES, Q1 2022 Statistics Canada has released its quarterly job vacancy and wage survey (unadjusted for seasonality) for the first quarter of 2022. Data collection activities were suspended from the start of the pandemic in March to September 2020. There remains a gap in the dataset for this survey.
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 4.4% in the first quarter of 2022, representing 18,375 job vacancies (these data are unadjusted for seasonality and will typically show more slack in the winter months). Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate is higher than the 3.2% vacancy rate (12,780 vacancies) observed during the first quarter of 2021.
The national job vacancy rate was 5.2%, up from 3.6% in the first quarter of 2021.
Across Canada, Q1 2022 job vacancy rates were highest in British Columbia and Quebec. The lowest job vacancy rate was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador. Compared to Q1 2021, vacancy rates increased for all provinces.
The average wage offered for a vacant position in Q1 2022 was $20.90 per hour in Nova Scotia, up from $20.70 in Q1 2021. The national average wage increased to $24.20 per hour, up from $23.60 in Q1 2021.
Compared with Q1 2021, the average wage offered increased 2.5% nationally. Average wages on vacant positions were highest in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, and lowest in the Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Average wages offered on vacant positions increased in all provinces.
Among Nova Scotia's economic regions, Q1 2022 job vacancy rates were highest in the Annapolis Valley and lowest in Southern Nova Scotia. All regions had higher job vacancy rates compared to the same quarter in 2021.
Compared with Q1 2021, average wages on vacant positions increased in three regions and declined in Cape Breton and Halifax.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's Q1 2022 job vacancy rates were lower than the national average in every category except real estate and rentals, management of companies, educational services, and health care and social assistance. Suppressed data are labelled as 'n/a'.
Compared to the national average, the wages offered for vacant positions in Nova Scotia were lower for all sectors except public administration in Q1 2022. The largest wage differences were found in construction, wholesale trade, information and cultural, administrative and support, waste management and remediation, and education sector.
Across sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rates increased the most compared to Q1 2021 in real estate and rentals, accommodation and food services, management of companies, and health care and social assistance.
For sectors with available data, Nova Scotia's average hourly wages on vacant positions were highest in mining and professional and technical services. The fastest wage gains (Q1 2022 vs Q1 2021) were in public administration, transportation, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining sectors. Average wages on vacant positions in educational services, health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and other services declined over this period.
Of the 18,375 job vacancies reported in Nova Scotia during Q1 2022, the largest number (5,860) were in sales and service occupations. Sales/service vacancies increased 62.3% compared to the same quarter of 2021. Among occupations with data, vacancies were up the most in Education, law, community, government.
Average wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia during Q1 2022 were highest for natural/applied sciences and management occupations. Occupations in sales and service and natural resource and agriculture had the lowest wages offered on vacant positions in Q1 2022.
In Q1 2022, 58.9% of vacant positions in Nova Scotia required high school or lower levels of education, up from 57.4% of vacancies in Q1 2021. In percentage terms, vacancies increased the most for positions requiring high school level.
Wages offered for vacant positions requiring high school or lower education were on average less than wages offered on vacancies requiring more education. The fastest growth in wages offered (compared to Q1 2021) were for positions requiring a university degree below Bachelor's level. Wages offered are up compared to the same quarter in 2021 for all education levels.
The number of vacant positions requiring less than one year of experience increased 48.2% (+3,325) compared to Q1 2021. The average wage offered on vacant positions increased for less than one year of experience, between 1 and 3 years of experience, and between 5 and 8 years of experience. The average wage offered on vacant positions declined between 3 and 5 years of experience 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.
Source: Statistics Canada.
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