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July 30, 2026JOB VACANCIES, MAY 2026 Monthly (May vs April 2026, seasonally adjusted)
Nova Scotia had 12,345 job vacancies in May 2026, down 8.1% (-1,095 vacancies) from April 2026.
Canadian employers were actively recruiting for 495,715 positions in May with the national job vacancy rate of 2.8%, up 0.1 percentage points from last month. Among provinces, five reported lower vacancy rates, two were unchanged, and three increased compared to April. The highest vacancy rates were reported in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, while the lowest was in Newfoundland in Labrador.
National job vacancies increased by 0.6% (3,040 vacant positions). Job vacancies fell in six provinces, led by Nova Scotia. Manitoba reported the fastest rise in vacant positions.
Year-over-year (May 2026 vs May 2025)
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate fell 0.5 percentage points compared to one year ago. Nationally, the job vacancy rate did not change compared to May 2025. Four provinces reported lower job vacancy rates, with the largest percentage point decline reported in Nova Scotia. The largest increase in job vacancy rate was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador.
When compared to May 2025, the number of job vacancies in Nova Scotia fell 14.5% or by 2,095 vacancies. National job vacancies declined 0.3% or by 1,400 vacant positions. Three provinces reported declines in the number of vacancies over the twelve-month period ending in May, led by Nova Scotia. New Brunswick reported the fastest rise in job vacancies.
Trend
Nationally, job vacancy rates have trended downward after peaking in the spring of 2022.
Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate peaked in the spring of 2022 and has also been on a downward trend. Nova Scotia's job vacancy rate has fluctuated in a narrow band around 3.0% since mid-2024.
In May 2026 Nova Scotia’s job vacancy rate fell below the national average for the first time since October 2024, and was the lowest rate recorded since August 2018.
Nova Scotia's job vacancies peaked at 22,585 in July 2022 and have been trending down. There was an increase in Nova Scotia job vacancies through the summer of 2025, followed by a decrease in the autumn months.
Canada job vacancy rate and job vacancies by industry, April 2026
Nationally, accommodation/food services, personal/repair services, and health care/social assistance had the highest job vacancy rates. The lowest vacancy rates were in education, company management and utilities. Health care and social assistance reported the largest percentage point declines in the vacancy rate. Manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, transportation, accommodation and food services, construction, and agriculture, forestry and fishing reported higher vacancy rates compared to a year ago.
Health care and social assistance had the highest number of vacancies in Canada at 87,510 in May 2026 and also experienced the largest decline of 15,890.
Notes: The job vacancy rate is the percentage of job positions (both filled and vacant) that are vacant. A higher job vacancy rate indicates a tighter labour market where it is more difficult for employers to find suitable candidates for the positions offered. A lower job vacancy rate signals labour market slack and potentially more job seekers competing for each vacant position.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection was suspended from April to October 2020. There remains a break in this data series.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0432-01 Job vacancies, payroll employees, and job vacancy rate by provinces and territories, monthly, adjusted for seasonality, Table 14-10-0406-01 Job vacancies, payroll employees, and job vacancy rate by industry sector, monthly, adjusted for seasonality