More than 30 per cent of Nova Scotia employees in precarious jobs: study

HALIFAX – A new report suggests more than 30 per cent of paid employees in Nova Scotia are in precarious jobs.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says these workers experience job insecurity, low wages and a lack of benefits, such as pensions and paid sick time. As well, more than half are young people between the ages of 20 and 24, working part-time in the gig economy or in temporary roles.

Study co-author Daniel Cerdas-Sandi says too many workers in Nova Scotia are working hard without the stability they need to make ends meet. And the study says the problem is particularly bad in Nova Scotia.

“Available evidence suggests that many workers in Nova Scotia face greater job insecurity and lower pay than workers in most other parts of Canada,” the study says, citing a 2020 report in the peer-reviewed journal Local Economy.

“Although many workers across Canada face growing job insecurity and rising living costs in recent years, Nova Scotia is particularly notable for its elevated rates of low income, longer working hours and limited job benefits.”

The study, released Wednesday, also found that unionized workers are significantly less likely to experience precarious employment, with better access to permanent jobs and benefits.

Meanwhile, precarious work remains concentrated in two areas: the accommodation and food sector and the retail trade sector, which employ about 20 per cent of Nova Scotia workers, the report says.

The findings also show a sharp divide between public and private sector jobs, with union coverage concentrated in the public sector.

“Weak labour standards and limited enforcement leave too many workers unprotected,” co-author Rebecca Casey, a sociology professor at Acadia University, said in a statement released Wednesday. “When workers are afraid to speak up or risk losing hours, the system is not working.”

The findings are based on figures from Statistics Canada’s 2024 labour force survey and an online survey of 551 Nova Scotia workers conducted from June 30 to July 4, 2025. The online survey asked workers about schedules, on-call expectations, changes in hours and income, benefits and fear of losing work. 

The study includes a number of recommendations aimed at reducing precarious work. Among other things, the study calls for raising the minimum wage to match the living wage, which the centre defines as the amount of money a full-time worker needs to cover basic expenses for shelter, food and child care.

As of September 2025, the centre calculated that a living wage in Nova Scotia would be $27.60 an hour. By April 1 of this year, the province’s minimum wage was $16.75 and it will rise to $17.00 in October.

“Even with recent increases to minimum wage, the gap between what people earn and what they need to get by has grown,” the report says. “Many workers still struggle to cover basic expenses like rent, food and child care, and must make hard choices every month to make ends meet.”

Other recommended changes include; imposing limits on very short or highly variable shifts; improving rules around scheduling and on-call work; expanding access to paid sick leave and paid vacation; and supporting unionization and collective bargaining.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2026.