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July 27, 2023PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, MAY 2023 Monthly (May 2023 vs April 2023, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 451,576 payroll employees in May 2023, up 2.1% (+9,175) compared to April 2023. Canada had 17.99 million employees, up 0.7% from April 2023. There were gains in nine provinces, led by Prince Edward Island, but these were partially offset by decline in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings were $1,064.63 in May of 2023, a gain of $2.97 (+0.3%) from revised April 2023 results.
Nationally, average weekly earnings were $1,200.75, an increase of 0.4% (+$5.15) from average weekly earnings in April 2023. Seven provinces reported gains in average weekly earnings. Québec and British Columbia reported the biggest gains while Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island reported the largest declines.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings in May 2023 were second lowest among provinces (ahead of only Prince Edward Island). Alberta reported the highest average weekly earnings.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in company management, professional and technical services, and information and culture industries. The lowest average weekly earnings were reported in Nova Scotia's accommodations and food service industries and in arts, entertainment and recreation.
In May 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly wages were 88.7% of the national average. Nova Scotia average weekly wages were below the comparable national average for every industry except company management and health/social assistance. The smallest gaps were in accommodation and food services as well as information and culture. The largest gaps were in forestry/logging (70.1% of the national average) and public administration (83.1% of the national average).
Year-over-year (May 2023 vs May 2022)
Compared with the same month in 2022, Nova Scotia's payroll employment grew by 2.2% (+9,710) in May 2023. This was slower than the national average gain of 3.1%. Nine provinces reported growth in payroll employment, with the fastest gain in Alberta and the only decline in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Among the industries reported by Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia's largest industries of employment were health care and social assistance (which includes daycares), followed by retail trade and education.
Forestry and logging as well as arts, entertainment and recreation and construction had the fastest year-over-year growth in payroll employment in Nova Scotia. Finance and insurance reported the largest percentage decline in payroll employment.
Average weekly wages grew by 5.5% in Nova Scotia from May 2022 to May 2023. This was faster than the national pace of 3.6%.
Average weekly wages grew by 3.6% across Canada from May 2022 to May 2023. There were gains in each province, with the fastest rise in Nova Scotia. Saskatchewan reported the slowest gain.
Average weekly wages were up 8.8% in Nova Scotia's goods-producing industries and 4.6% in Nova Scotia's services-producing industries. Most of the industries reported year-over-year growth in average weekly wages with the largest increases in information and culture as well as professional and technical services and administrative support and call centers industries. Average weekly wages were down for arts, entertainment and recreation, public administration, and wholesale trade.
Year-to-date (January-May 2023 vs January-May 2022)
In January-May 2023, Nova Scotia's payroll employment increased 2.1% over January-May 2022. Across Canada, payroll employment growth was 2.2% with gains in all provinces. Alberta reported the fastest rise in payroll employment while Newfoundland and Labrador reported the slowest growth rate.
In January-May 2023, forestry and logging, construction as well as arts, entertainment and recreation, and professional and technical services industries reported the fastest employment growth in percentage terms compared to the same period in 2022. Information and culture reported the largest percentage decline.
In January-May 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings increased by 2.9% compared to the same period in 2022. National average weekly earnings were up 2.0% in the first five months of the year with gains in all provinces. Prince Edward Island and Manitoba reported the fastest gains in average weekly earnings while Alberta reported the slowest rises.
In January-May 2023, manufacturing, company management, and accommodation and food services reported the fastest percentage gains in average weekly earnings compared to the same period in 2022. Public administration reported the only percentage decline.
In January-May 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in company management as well as in professional and technical services industries. Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings averaged 88.2% of the national value for all industries in January-May 2023. All Nova Scotia industries reported average weekly earnings below their national counterparts. The gaps were narrowest in retail trade as well as arts, entertainment and recreation and health and social assistance. Information and culture and public administration workers in Nova Scotia reported the largest gaps in average weekly earnings compared with the national average for the industry.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0222-01 Employment, average hourly and weekly earnings (including overtime), and average weekly hours for the industrial aggregate excluding unclassified businesses, monthly, seasonally adjusted; Table 14-10-0223-01 Employment and average weekly earnings (including overtime) for all employees by province and territory, monthly, seasonally adjusted
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