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March 28, 2024PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, JANUARY 2024 Monthly (January 2024 vs December 2023, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 453,793 payroll employees in January 2024, up 0.7% (+3,349) compared to December 2023. Canada had 18.09 million employees, up 0.2% from December 2023. There were gains in all provinces except Saskatchewan, led by Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings were $1,095.11 in January of 2024, an increase of $10.44 (+1.0%) from revised December 2023 results.
Nationally, average weekly earnings were $1,228.01, an increase of 0.7% (+$8.11) from average weekly earnings in December 2023. All provinces reported gains in average weekly earnings, with the largest gain in Prince Edward Island while the slowest gain was in Manitoba.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings in January 2024 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, information and culture, company management, 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 January 2024, Nova Scotia's average weekly wages were 89.2% of the national average. Nova Scotia average weekly wages were below the comparable national average for every industry. The smallest gaps were in retail trade, accommodation/food services, and health/social assistance services. The largest gap was in forestry/logging (83.9% of the national average).
Year-over-year (January 2024 vs January 2023)
Compared with the same month in 2023, Nova Scotia's payroll employment grew by 1.8% (+8,026) in January 2024. This was higher than the national average gain of 1.2%. All provinces reported growth in payroll employment except Newfoundland and Labrador, with the fastest gains in Nova Scotia and Alberta.
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.
Arts, entertainment and recreation as well as health care and social assistance had the fastest year-over-year growth in payroll employment in Nova Scotia. Administrative support/call centers reported the largest percentage decline in payroll employment.
Average weekly wages grew by 6.1% in Nova Scotia from January 2023 to January 2024. This was stronger than the national pace of 3.9%.
Average weekly wages grew by 3.9% across Canada from January 2023 to January 2024. There were gains in each province, with the fastest rise in Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Alberta and Saskatchewan reported the slowest gains.
Average weekly wages were up 1.6% in Nova Scotia's goods-producing industries and 7.1% 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/culture as well as accommodation/food services and health/social assistance. Average weekly wages were down in finance/insurance and arts/entertainment/recreation industries.
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