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December 21, 2023PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, OCTOBER 2023 Monthly (October 2023 vs September 2023, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 453,076 payroll employees in October 2023, up 0.7% (+3,266) compared to September 2023. Canada had 18.04 million employees, down 0.2% from September 2023. There were declines in six provinces, led by Prince Edward Island. The largest gain was in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings were $1,088.45 in October of 2023, an increase of $5.54 (+0.5%) from revised September 2023 results.
Nationally, average weekly earnings were $1,222.29, an increase of 0.3% (+$4.22) from average weekly earnings in September 2023. Seven provinces reported gains in average weekly earnings with the largest gains in Prince Edward Island and Manitoba. New Brunswick reported the biggest decline.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings in October 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 professional and technical services, company management, information and culture, and finance and insurance industries. The lowest average weekly earnings were reported in Nova Scotia's accommodations and food service industries, arts, entertainment and recreation, and retail trade.
In October 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly wages were 89.1% of the national average. Nova Scotia average weekly wages were below the comparable national average for every industry except health/social assistance. The smallest gaps were in arts, entertainment and recreation, retail trade, and accommodation and food services. The largest gaps were in forestry/logging (75.4% of the national average) and transportation (84.6% of the national average).
Year-over-year (October 2023 vs October 2022)
Compared with the same month in 2022, Nova Scotia's payroll employment grew by 3.4% (+14,861) in October 2023. This was higher than the national average gain of 2.0%. All provinces reported growth in payroll employment, with the fastest gains in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Alberta while the slowest gain was 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 company management and education 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 5.1% in Nova Scotia from October 2022 to October 2023. This was stronger than the national pace of 4.0%.
Average weekly wages grew by 4.0% across Canada from October 2022 to October 2023. There were gains in each province, with the fastest rise in Nova Scotia. Saskatchewan reported the slowest gain.
Average weekly wages were up 4.1% in Nova Scotia's goods-producing industries and 5.4% 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 health care and social assistance and accommodation and food services industries. Average weekly wages were down in transportation, wholesale trade, and administrative/support/call centres industries.
Year-to-date (January-October 2023 vs January-October 2022)
In January-October 2023, Nova Scotia's payroll employment increased 2.9% over January- October 2022. Across Canada, payroll employment growth was 3.0% with gains in all provinces. Alberta reported the fastest rise in payroll employment while Newfoundland and Labrador reported the slowest growth rate.
In January-October 2023, forestry and logging, arts, entertainment and recreation, as well as construction, company management, and professional and technical services industries reported the fastest employment growth in percentage terms compared to the same period in 2022. Information and culture, finance and insurance, and retail trade reported the percentage declines.
In January-October 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings increased by 4.6% compared to the same period in 2022. National average weekly earnings were up 3.3% in the first ten months of the year with gains in all provinces. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba reported the fastest gains in average weekly earnings while Alberta and Saskatchewan reported the slowest rises.
In January-October 2023, manufacturing, accommodation and food services, information and culture reported the fastest percentage gains in average weekly earnings compared to the same period in 2022. Public administration and real estate, rental and leasing reported the only percentage declines.
In January-October 2023, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in professional and technical services industries. Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings averaged 88.4% of the national value for all industries in January-October 2023. All Nova Scotia industries reported average weekly earnings below their national counterparts. The gaps were narrowest in health and social assistance as well as retail trade. Public administration and real estate, rental and leasing 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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