August 30, 2018COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES Q2 2018 
Nova Scotia's seasonally adjusted employee compensation (wages+salaries+employer social contributions) increased 0.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2018 to $5.81 billion. Compared to the second quarter of 2017 compensation was up 2.0 per cent. Growth rates for the previous four quarters were faster than Q2 2018.
The wages and salaries portion of employee compensation was up 0.6 per cent at $4.96 billion; an increase of 2.0 per cent over the same quarter in 2017. Employers' social contributions increased 0.3 per cent in the quarter and were 2.0 per cent higher than the second quarter 2017.
For the quarter, Canada's employee compensation was up 0.7 per cent as compensation increased in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.5%) and Saskatchewan (0.0%). The fastest growth for the month was in Ontario and Manitoba at 0.9 per cent.
Comparing 2018 Q2 with 2017 Q2, Canada's employee compensation was up 4.8 per cent. The fastest growth was in British Columbia (+5.7%) and Quebec (+5.7%) while the slowest growth was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.9%) and Saskatchewan (+1.3%).
Comparing the seasonally unadjusted data for first half of 2018 with the first half of 2017 2017, total wages and salaries increased 2.6 per cent in Nova Scotia. The total wages and salaries paid in the goods sector rose by 2.0 per cent. Wages and salaries rose for manufacturing (+3.6%), utilities (+1.6%), construction (+1.3%) while there were declines in agriculture, forestry and fishing (-0.8%) and mining and oil and gas extraction (-0.5%).
Among private sector service sectors, growth was strongest in retail and wholesale trade (+5.3%), followed by professional services (+4.8%) and transportation and storage (+3.8%). Total wages and salaries in information and cultural industries are 8.5 per cent or $17.8 million lower for the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017.
Total wages and salaries were up for Educational services (+3.3%), Health Care and Social Assistance (+5.6%), Federal public administration (+2.5%) and Local government (+4.6%) and declined 0.1 per cent for Provincial public administration. Military wages and salaries were down 10.6 per cent compared to the first half of 2017 when a one-time lump-sum payments lifted compensation in the sector.
Note: comparison of wages and salaries by sector rely on data that are neither seasonally adjusted nor adjusted to reflect differences in pay periods from one year to the next.
Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0205-01 Wages, salaries and employers' social contributions (x 1,000)