Unemployment Rate Drops In N.S., Remains The Same In N.B.
The unemployment rate fell by more than half a percent in Nova Scotia but remained the same in New Brunswick, according to Statistics Canada labour force data from August.
The rate in Nova Scotia was 7.8 percent in August compared to 8.4 percent in July. In New Brunswick, the rate remained the same from month to month at 9.3 percent.
The size of the labour force in Nova Scotia is 504,600; in New Brunswick, it’s 392,100.
The unemployment rate in Halifax experienced a similar drop to the rest of the province, falling from 8.7 percent in July to 7.5 percent in August.
Overall employment in Nova Scotia grew by 3,900 jobs, mostly due to an increase in part-time employment. The province actually lost 1,500 full-time jobs but gained 5,300 part-time jobs. The represents a 6.3 percent increase from August 2020 to August of this year.
In New Brunswick, the rates in the urban areas continued to be lower than the province as a whole. In Moncton, the unemployment rate fell from 6.7 percent in July to 6 percent in August. In Saint John, the drop in the rate was smaller, falling from 8.8 percent to 8.7 percent.
Overall employment in the province fell by 500 jobs, gaining 1,500 full-time jobs but losing 2,000 part-time positions. The represents a 0.9 percent increase from August 2020 to August of this year.
The survey showed that employment rose nationally in August for the third consecutive month, The country added 90,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 7.1 percent.
Gains were concentrated in full-time work and the services industry, led by accommodation and food services.
“Combined with gains in June and July, the August increase brought employment to within 156,000 (-0.8 percent) of its February 2020 level, the closest since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the survey.