Current Situation
In 2019, Nova Scotia's labour force participation rate for 15-64-year-olds was 77.7 per cent, an improvement over 2018 and higher than the 2012 baseline of 77.0 per cent. The Canadian rate has remained relatively stable since 2012, and in 2019 it moved up to 79.0 per cent. With the participation rates moving closer together, Nova Scotia’s gap with the national rate declined to 1.3 percentage points. Although this represents a movement closer to the target, the gap remains larger than the baseline of 0.8 percentage points.
| Year | Canada (target) | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 76.2 | 72.1 |
| 2001 | 76.3 | 73.1 |
| 2002 | 77.4 | 73.7 |
| 2003 | 78.2 | 74.4 |
| 2004 | 78.1 | 75.6 |
| 2005 | 77.7 | 75 |
| 2006 | 77.7 | 74.3 |
| 2007 | 78.3 | 75.4 |
| 2008 | 78.4 | 75.6 |
| 2009 | 78 | 76.2 |
| 2010 | 77.8 | 76.5 |
| 2011 | 77.8 | 76.3 |
| 2012 | 77.8 | 77 |
| 2013 | 78 | 76.9 |
| 2014 | 77.8 | 76.5 |
| 2015 | 78 | 76.5 |
| 2016 | 78.1 | 75.8 |
| 2017 | 78.5 | 76.4 |
| 2018 | 78.4 | 76.8 |
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What This Means
The participation rate tells you the number of people of working age who are active in the labour market – either employed or unemployed – as a ratio of the total working-age population. The participation rate is driven largely by demographics but is also influenced by policy and business cycles. In recent years the rate has increased because of increase in prime working-age population.
Deep Dive
Read more detailed information about this goal by clicking 'Deep Dive'