May 31, 2019COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES Q1 2019 
Nova Scotia's seasonally adjusted employee compensation (wages+salaries+employer social contributions) increased 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 to $5.95 billion. Compared to the first quarter of 2018 compensation was up 4.2 per cent, the fastest pace of growth since Q4 2010.
The wages and salaries portion of employee compensation was up 1.5 per cent to $5.09 billion in the first quarter; an increase of 4.2 per cent over the same quarter in 2018. Employers' social contributions increased 1.9 per cent in the quarter and were 4.2 per cent higher than the first quarter 2018.
For the quarter, Canada's employee compensation was up 1.0 per cent as compensation increased in all provinces. Quarterly growth was fastest in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec at 1.7 per cent. The slowest employee compensation was in Saskatchewan at 0.4 per cent.
Comparing Q1 2019 with Q1 2018, Canada's employee compensation was up 3.4 per cent. The fastest growth was in Newfoundland and Labrador (+5.1%). Seven provinces had growth above 3 per cent with Newfoundland and Labrador (+2.9%), Saskatchewan (+2.5%) and Alberta (+0.9%) reporting growth below 3 per cent.
Comparing the seasonally unadjusted data for Q1 2019 with Q1 2018 total wages and salaries increased 4.3 per cent in Nova Scotia. The total wages and salaries paid in the goods sector rose by 3.4 per cent. The total wages and salaries rose in agriculture, forestry and fishing (+4.1%), mining, oil and gas (+1.9%), manufacturing (+3.1%), construction (+3.4%) and utilities (+4.6%).
All private sector service sectors had year over year growth. Growth was strongest in information and cultural industries (+6.0%) and professional services (+5.5%). Trade (+2.8%), finance and real estate (+2.5%) and transportation and storage (+2.2%) also reported growth.
Total wages and salaries were up for Educational services (+6.2%), Health Care and Social Assistance (+6.8%), Federal public administration (+4.6%) reported larger increases than military (+1.1%), provincial public administration (+0.1%) and local public administration (+2.6%).
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)