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June 16, 2026JOB VACANCIES AND WAGES, Q1 2026 Quarter-over-quarter (Q1 2026 vs Q4 2025)
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate (seasonally adjusted) was unchanged at 3.2% Q1 2026, representing 14,595 job vacancies.
Nationally, the job vacancy rate was 2.8%, unchanged from Q4 2025. The highest job vacancy rates were reported in Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, followed by Nova Scotia. The lowest job vacancy rate was in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In Nova Scotia, Cape Breton reported the highest job vacancy rate at 4.0% while Halifax reported the lowest at 3.0%. Cape Breton, North Shore and Annapolis Valley regions reported lower job vacancy rates compared to the previous quarter.
The number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia rose by 1.2% from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026. Nationally, job vacancies rose 2.4%, with six provinces reporting growth led by New Brunswick. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the steepest decline in job vacancies.
In Nova Scotia, job vacancies were down in Cape Breton, North Shore and Annapolis Valley, while Southern Nova Scotia and Halifax reported increases in Q1 2026.
Year-over-year (Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025)
Compared with Q1 2025, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate was unchanged. Nationally, the job vacancy rate edged down 0.1 percentage point, with six provinces reporting lower job vacancy rates. Newfoundland and Labrador had the largest drop in the job vacancy rate.
Within Nova Scotia, only the North Shore region reported a lower job vacancy rate compared to one year ago.
The number of job vacancies increased by 2.0% in Nova Scotia from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026. Nationally, the number of job vacancies fell by 3.2% with seven provinces reporting declines, led by Newfoundland and Labrador.
Among Nova Scotia's economic regions, job vacancy declines in North Shore and Annapolis Valley regions were offset by increases in Cape Breton, Southern Nova Scotia and Halifax.
The average hourly wage offered on vacant positions (unadjusted for seasonality) was $26.15 in Nova Scotia during Q1 2026, up from $25.65 a year earlier. All provinces, except Newfoundland and Labrador, reported higher average hourly wages on vacant positions compared with Q1 2026.
Average hourly wages on vacant positions were $29.55 nationally, with the highest values in Ontario and British Columbia. Nova Scotia reported the lowest average wages on vacant positions in Q1 2026.
Across Nova Scotia, average hourly wages on vacant positions were up for Cape Breton and Halifax and down for other regions. The highest average hourly wage was offered in Halifax and the lowest was in the Annapolis Valley in Q1.
Average wages on vacant positions grew by 1.9% in Nova Scotia from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026. Nationally, average wages on vacant positions were up 2.2% over this period with gains in all provinces, except Newfoundland and Labrador. New Brunswick reported the largest increase in average wages on vacant positions.
Cape Breton reported the fastest year-over-year growth in average wages for vacant positions while the North Shore region reported the fastest decline.
In unadjusted job vacancy rates by industry in Nova Scotia, accommodation/food services reported the highest job vacancy rate in Q1 2026. Education reported the lowest job vacancy rate.
Compared with Q1 2025, there was a notable decline in the job vacancy rates for Nova Scotia's health care/social assistance (which includes daycare) and a notable increase for wholesale trade and real estate/leasing vacancy rates. (Note: no data were available for utilities or mining/oil/gas for Q1 2026).
Despite a decline, the number of job vacancies remained highest in health/social/daycare in Nova Scotia in Q1 2026.
Across all industries, job vacancies were up 2.4% in unadjusted results when compared to Q1 2025. agriculture/forestry/fishing and real estate/rental/leasing reported the largest increase in job vacancies over this period. Mining/oil/gas reported the steepest decline (though it is a small number of vacancies) followed by company management and construction.
Compared with national averages by industry, Nova Scotia's job vacancy rates were higher for eleven of the reporting industries.
In Q1 2026, average hourly wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia were highest for company management, mining/oil/gas, and utilities. Hourly wages for vacant positions in Nova Scotia were lowest for arts/recreation and accommodation/food services.
From Q1 2025 to Q1 2026, average hourly wages offered on vacant positions in Nova Scotia were up for fifteen industries, led by company management, utilities and mining/oil/gas. The fastest declines were in arts/recreation.
Compared with national averages, average hourly wages on vacant Nova Scotia positions were lower for all reporting industries in Q1 2026, except company management, utilities and mining/oil/gas.
The majority of job vacancies in Q1 2026 required no more than a high school education and less than one year of experience.
Comparing Q1 2026 to Q1 2025, job vacancies were up the most for those requiring a bachelor's degree and vacancies were down most for university degree above a bachelor. Among experience requirements, vacancies were up the most for less than one year of experience, as well as 5-8 years of experience, and down the most for more than eight years of experience (though this remains the smallest number of vacancies).
Average hourly earnings for vacant positions were on average higher for increased experience and educational requirements.
Over the last year (comparing Q1 2026 against Q1 2025), average hourly wages were up the most for positions requiring more than eight years of experience, as well as for those requiring at least a university bachelor's degree. Wages were down for vacant positions requiring between 1-3 years of experience. By education requirement, average wages were down for university below bachelor.
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 remained at 2.8% since the second quarter of 2025. Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate has remained above national average since the first quarter of 2024 and has remained relatively steady around 3.2%.
The number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia peaked at 22,300 (seasonally adjusted) in Q2 2022. Since then, the number of vacancies has fallen by 7,705 with declines in all economic regions.
Growth in average hourly earnings for vacant positions across Nova Scotia has slowed since 2024.
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