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December 16, 2025JOB VACANCIES AND WAGES, Q3 2025 Quarter-over-quarter (Q3 2025 vs Q2 2025)
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate (seasonally adjusted) increased 0.2 percentage points to 3.4% in Q3 2025, representing 15,215 job vacancies.
Nationally, the job vacancy rate was 2.8%, unchanged from Q2 2025. The highest job vacancy rates were reported in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, while the lowest job vacancy rate was in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In Nova Scotia, North Shore reported the highest job vacancy rate at 3.9% while Halifax reported the lowest at 3.2%. Cape Breton and North Shore reported lower job vacancy rates compared to the previous quarter, while Annapolis Valley, Southern Nova Scotia and Halifax regions reported higher job vacancy rates.
The number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia grew by 5.1% from Q2 2025 to Q3 2025. Nationally, job vacancies declined 2.8%, with only the Atlantic provinces reporting growth. The steepest decline was in Alberta while the strongest growth was in Prince Edward Island.
In Nova Scotia, job vacancies were down in Cape Breton and North Shore. The Annapolis Valley, Southern Nova Scotia and Halifax posted gains in job vacancies in the third quarter of 2025, led by Halifax.
Year-over-year (Q3 2025 vs Q3 2024)
Compared with Q3 2024, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate was up by 0.2 percentage points. Nationally, the job vacancy rate was down 0.3 percentage points, with all provinces outside of the Maritimes reporting declining job vacancy rates from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were the only provinces to report higher job vacancy rates, while Prince Edward Island's rate was unchanged.
Within Nova Scotia, Cape Breton was the only region to report a lower job vacancy rate from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025.
The number of job vacancies increased by 5.4% in Nova Scotia from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025, just behind New Brunswick and the only other province to report year-over-year growth in vacancies. Nationally, the number of job vacancies fell by 10.2% with declines in eight provinces, led by British Columbia.
Among Nova Scotia's economic regions, Cape Breton reported the only year-over-year decline in job vacancies, while Halifax and the Annapolis Valley regions reported the fastest increases.
The average hourly wage offered on vacant positions (unadjusted for seasonality) was $25.15 in Nova Scotia during Q3 2025, up from $24.60 a year earlier. All provinces reported higher average hourly wages on vacant positions compared with Q3 2024.
Average hourly wages on vacant positions were $28.45 nationally, with the highest values in British Columbia, Ontario and Québec. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador reported the lowest average wages on vacant positions in Q3 2025.
Across Nova Scotia, average hourly wages on vacant positions were up for all regions except North Shore. Q3 2025 wages were highest in Halifax and lowest in the North Shore economic region.
Average wages on vacant positions grew by 2.2% in Nova Scotia from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025. Nationally, average wages on vacant positions were up 3.3% over this period with gains in all provinces. Prince Edward Island reported the largest increase in average wages on vacant positions while Newfoundland and Labrador reported the slowest increase.
Southern Nova Scotia reported the fastest year-over-year growth in average wages for vacant positions while the North Shore region reported the only decline.
In unadjusted job vacancy rates by industry in Nova Scotia, accommodation/food reported the highest job vacancy rate in Q3 2025, followed by health/social assistance/daycare. Education and public administration reported the lowest job vacancy rates. (Note: no data were available for utilities or mining/oil/gas for Q3 2025).
Compared with Q3 2024, there was a notable decline in the job vacancy rates for Nova Scotia's health/social/daycare. Accommodation/food services, wholesale trade, real estate/leasing and agriculture/forestry/fishing had the largest increases in vacancy rates.
Despite a notable decline, the number of job vacancies remained highest in health/social/daycare in Nova Scotia in Q3 2025.
Across all industries, job vacancies were up 5.3% in unadjusted results when comparing Q3 2025 to Q3 2024. Wholesale trade, agriculture/forestry/fishing, real estate/leasing and accommodation/food services reported the largest increases in job vacancies over this period. Public administration, information/culture and company management reported the steepest declines. (Note: no data were available for utilities or mining/oil/gas for Q3 2025).
Compared with national averages by industry, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rates were higher for most reporting industries (exceptions: public administration, information/culture, construction).
In Q3 2025, average hourly wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia were highest for professional/technical services and information/culture. Hourly wages for vacant positions in Nova Scotia were lowest for accommodation/food services.
From Q3 2024 to Q3 2025, average hourly wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia were up for most industries. Note that quarterly data are unavailable for utilities in Q3 2025, as well as mining/oil/gas for both 2024 and 2025.
Growth in average hourly wages for vacant positions was strongest for information/culture, construction and transportation, comparing Q3 2025 against Q3 2024. Real estate/rental/leasing reported the steepest percentage decline in hourly wages offered on vacant positions over this period.
Compared with national averages, average hourly wages on vacant Nova Scotia positions were lower for all reporting industries in Q3 2025. The gap was largest for company management.
The majority of job vacancies in Q3 2025 required no more than a high school education and less than one year of experience.
Comparing Q3 2025 against Q3 2024, job vacancies were up the most for those requiring no minimum education andvacancies were down for high school, trades/apprenticeship, college or university bachelor's degree requirements. Among experience requirements, vacancies were up the most for more than eight years of experience (though this remains the smallest number of vacancies) followed by less than one year of experience.
Average hourly earnings for vacant positions were on average higher for increased experience and educational requirements.
Over the last year (comparing Q3 2025 against Q3 2024), average hourly wages were up the most for positions requiring more than eight years of experience, as well as for those requiring a university bachelor's degree. Wages were down for vacant positions requiring between five and eight years of experience. By education requirement, average wages were down for high school and university above bachelor requirements.
Trends
Following the pandemic (when job vacancy data were not collected), there was a substantial rise in Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate. The national job vacancy rate also increased over this time. After peaking in early 2022, vacancy rates in both Nova Scotia and across Canada declined steadily. The Canadian rate has continued to decline in 2025 while Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate has remained above national average since the first quarter of 2024.
The number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia peaked at 22,305 (seasonally adjusted) in Q3 2022. Since then, the number of vacancies has fallen by 7,090 with declines in all economic regions.
Growth in average hourly earnings for vacant positions across Nova Scotia has slowed in 2025.
Notes: 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.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0398-01 Job vacancies, payroll employees, and job vacancy rate, by economic regions, quarterly, adjusted for seasonality; Table 14-10-0441-01 Job vacancies, payroll employees, job vacancy rate, and average offered hourly wage by economic regions, quarterly, unadjusted for seasonality; Table 14-10-0442-01 Job vacancies, payroll employees, job vacancy rate, and average offered hourly wage by industry sub-sector, quarterly, unadjusted for seasonality; Table 14-10-0443-01 Job vacancies, proportion of job vacancies and average offered hourly wage by occupation and selected characteristics, quarterly, unadjusted for seasonality; Table 14-10-0444-01 Job vacancies and average offered hourly wage by occupation (unit group), quarterly, unadjusted for seasonality