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May 08, 2026LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, APRIL 2026 
MONTH OVER MONTH (April 2026 vs March 2026, seasonally adjusted)
In Nova Scotia,
- The labour force decreased 1,000 (-0.2%) to 564,500
- Employment increased 700 (+0.1%) to 528,700
- The number of unemployed persons decreased 1,600 (-4.3%) to 35,800
- The unemployment rate decreased 0.3 percentage points to 6.3%
In Canada,
- The labour force increased 33,500 (+0.1%) to 22,600,100
- Employment decreased 17,700 (-0.1%) to 21,033,700
- The number of unemployed persons increased 51,200 (+3.4%) to 1,566,400
- The unemployment rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%
In Halifax and East Hants Census Metropolitan Area, (3-month moving average)
- The labour force increased 1,300 (+0.4%) to 317,300
- Employment increased 1,600 (+0.5%) to 298,400
- The number of unemployed persons decreased 300 (-1.6%) to 18,900
- The unemployment rate decreased 0.1 percentage points to 6.0%
YEAR OVER YEAR (April 2026 vs April 2025)
In Nova Scotia,
- The labour force increased 8,200 (+1.5%)
- Employment increased 12,400 (+2.4%)
- The number of unemployed persons decreased 4,200 (-10.5%)
- The unemployment rate decreased 0.9 percentage points
In Canada,
- The labour force increased 79,900 (+0.4%)
- Employment increased 67,000 (+0.3%)
- The number of unemployed persons increased 12,900 (+0.8%)
- The unemployment rate was unchanged
In Halifax and East Hants Census Metropolitan Area, (3-month moving average)
- The labour force increased 6,700 (+2.2%)
- Employment increased 5,300 (+1.8%)
- The number of unemployed persons increased 1,400 (+8.0%)
- The unemployment rate increased 0.4 percentage points
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months; Table 14-10-0459-01 Labour force characteristics, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted