Goal 9

Youth Employment

Nova Scotia’s youth unemployment rate will be at, or better than, the national rate in that year.

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Goal Status

checkmark icon to signify progressing Progressing On Track
Baseline: 3.9
Current: 1.3
Target: 0
Updated:

Current Situation

In 2023, the youth unemployment rate in Nova Scotia was 12.1 per cent compared to 10.8 per cent nationally.  In 2020, the national rate rose above the provincial rate for the first time in Labour Force Survey history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nova Scotia’s rate also rose in 2020, but not to the same degree. Both the provincial and national rates fell in 2022 and 2021, returning toward their pre-pandemic trend. Both the provincial and national rates rose in 2023 from 2022.

Year Canada (target) Nova Scotia
1976 12.4 16.3
1977 13.8 16.8
1978 14 17.4
1979 12.7 18
1980 12.8 16.3
1981 12.8 16.7
1982 18.2 21.7
1983 19.2 21.8
1984 17.4 20.9
1985 15.8 21.4
1986 14.7 20.5
1987 13.2 18.3
1988 11.5 15.6
1989 10.9 15
1990 12.3 15.5
1991 15.8 19.5
1992 17.2 20.2
1993 17.2 21.5
1994 15.9 22.1
1995 14.8 19
1996 15.4 17.7
1997 16.3 20.6
1998 15.1 19
1999 14.1 18.2
2000 12.7 15.8
2001 12.9 17.6
2002 13.6 17.9
2003 13.6 15.7
2004 13.4 15.1
2005 12.4 15
2006 11.6 13.7
2007 11 13.1
2008 11.4 13.8
2009 15.1 17
2010 14.6 16
2011 13.9 16
2012 14 17.9
2013 13.2 17.4
2014 13.2 17.3
2015 12.8 15.1
2016 12.6 13.7
2017 11.2 16.3
2018 10.7 15
2019 10.7 13.6
2020 20.1 16.7
2021 13.5 14.2
2022 10.1 11.5
2023 10.8 12.1

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What This Means

This indicator measures the percentage of people between the ages of 15 and 24 who are looking for work that are not able to find employment. The declining rate means that a smaller share of people in that age group that are looking for work could not find it.

Deep Dive

Read more detailed information about this goal by clicking 'Deep Dive'

Youth Employment Deep Dive

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