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July 25, 2024PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, MAY 2024 Monthly (May 2024 vs April 2024, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 454,140 payroll employees in May 2024, down 0.1% (-455) compared to April 2024, the only decline among provinces. Canada had 18.20 million employees, up 0.2% from April 2024. There were gains in nine provinces, led by Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings were $1,134.18 in May of 2024, an increase of $27.24 (+2.5%) from revised April 2024 results.
Nationally, average weekly earnings were $1,251.77, an increase of 0.8% (+$10.55) from average weekly earnings in April 2024. All provinces reported gains in average weekly earnings, with the largest gain in Nova scotia. The slowest gain was in New Brunswick.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings in May 2024 were third lowest among provinces (ahead of only Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick). Alberta reported the highest average weekly earnings.
Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in information and culture, professional and technical services, 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 May 2024, Nova Scotia's average weekly wages were 90.6% 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 accommodation/food services, information/culture, and retail trade. The largest gap was in forestry/logging (74.6% of the national average).
Year-over-year (May 2024 vs May 2023)
Compared with the same month in 2023, Nova Scotia's payroll employment grew by 0.7% (+3,227) in May 2024. This was lower than the national average gain of 1.1%. All provinces reported growth in payroll employment, with the fastest gain in Newfoundland and Labrador while the slowest gain was in Quebec.
Among the industries reported by Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia's largest industries of employment were health care/social assistance (which includes daycares), followed by retail trade and education.
Company management as well as construction had the fastest year-over-year growth in payroll employment in Nova Scotia. Administrative support/call centres and forestry/logging reported the largest percentage decline in payroll employment.
Average weekly wages grew by 6.6% in Nova Scotia from May 2023 to May 2024. This was stronger than the national pace of 4.2%.
Average weekly wages grew by 4.2% across Canada from May 2023 to May 2024. There were gains in each province, with the fastest rise in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. New Brunswick reported the slowest gain.
Average weekly wages were up 3.0% in Nova Scotia's goods-producing industries and up 7.2% 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 wholesale trade, as well as forestry/logging, health/social assistance, and arts/entertainment/recreation. Average weekly wages were down in company management and construction.
Year-to-date (January-May 2024 vs January-May 2023)
In January-May 2024, Nova Scotia's payroll employment increased 1.9% over January-May 2023, the largest gain among provinces. Across Canada, payroll employment growth was 1.3% with gains in all provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the slowest rise in payroll employment.
In January-May 2024, health/social assistance as well as construction, public administration, and company management industries reported the fastest employment growth in percentage terms compared to the same period in 2023. Administrative support/call centres and forestry/logging reported the largest percentage declines.
In January-May 2024, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings increased by 5.5% compared to the same period in 2023. National average weekly earnings were up 4.0% in the first five months of the year with gains in all provinces. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia reported the fastest gains in average weekly earnings while Alberta and Saskatchewan reported the slowest rise.
In January-May 2024, information/culture, health/social assistance, and accommodation/food services reported the fastest percentage gains in average weekly earnings compared to the same period in 2023. Declines were reported in finance/insurance and education services.
In January-May 2024, Nova Scotia's average weekly earnings were highest in professional and technical services industries. Nova Scotians' average weekly earnings averaged 89.5% of the national value for all industries in January-May 2024. All Nova Scotia industries reported average weekly earnings below their national counterparts except health/social assistance. The gaps were narrowest in accommodation/food services as well as retail trade. Public administration, administrative support/call centre, and transportation workers in Nova Scotia reported the largest gap 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