Industry highlights – Labour force survey and trends

Labour market trends, February 2025

The following statistics were released from the Economics and Statistics Division on March 7, 2025. For full details from this dataset, click here.

February labour force survey results reflect the period from February 9 to 15, 2025.

  • Nova Scotia’s seasonally adjusted employment fell by 4,300 (-0.8%) to 522,900 in February following a decline of 500 (-0.1%) in the previous month
  • Nova Scotia’s labour force fell by 400 (-0.1%) to 560,000 in February 2025
  • With employment falling faster than labour force, Nova Scotia’s unemployment rate increased 0.7 percentage points to 6.6% in February 2025

Class of Worker and Industry (February 2025 vs January 2025, seasonally adjusted)

  • Classified by industry, the largest employment gains from January to February were in construction, wholesale/retail, and information/culture/recreation
  • The fastest declines were in agriculture, manufacturing, health/social and professional/technical services

Class of Worker and Industry (February 2025 vs February 2024, seasonally adjusted)

  • Over the last 12 months, employment was up the most for construction, health/social assistance, and accommodation/food services
  • The largest declines were in wholesale/retail, personal/repair services, manufacturing and professional/technical services

Labour force survey, February 2025

The following statistics were released from the Economics and Statistics Division on March 7, 2025. For full details from this dataset, click here.

Month Over Month (February 2025 vs January 2024, seasonally adjusted)

In Nova Scotia,

  • The labour force decreased 400 (-0.1%) to 560,000
  • Employment decreased 4,300 (-0.8%) to 522,900
  • The number of unemployed persons increased 4,000 (+12.0%) to 37,200
  • The unemployment rate increased 0.7 percentage points to 6.6%

In Canada,

  • The labour force decreased 16,800 (-0.1%) to 22,467,200
  • Employment was virtually unchanged (+1,100, +0.005%) to 20,994,500
  • The number of unemployed persons decreased 17,900 (-1.2%) to 1,472,700
  • The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.6%

Year Over Year (February 2025 vs February 2024)

In Nova Scotia,

  • The labour force increased 900 (+0.2%)
  • Employment decreased 1,800 (-0.3%)
  • The number of unemployed persons increased 2,800 (+8.1%)

In Canada,

  • The labour force increased 572,400 (+2.6%)
  • Employment increased 386,800 (+1.9%)
  • The number of unemployed persons increased 185,600 (+14.4%)