Get the Facts on Halifax's Economy
To learn more about Halifax’s economy and get a definitive look at Halifax’s economic and community progress, read the Halifax Index 2021.
Halifax Economic Dashboard
Halifax Economy
Looking for the latest facts and figures on Halifax’s economy? Our interactive dashboard displays the most up-to-date statistics and key performance indicators.
New Update!
This updated version of the Economic Dashboard offers the same great data and analysis with a simpler layout and more interactive features. You'll also notice there is more information and context provided within the Dashboard. Learn more about what's changed >
Latest Halifax Economy Snapshot (Updated: July 2021)
- The unemployment rate in June sat at 8.8%. Although it decreased from the high for 2021 seen in May, the figure still shows impacts of the lockdown during the third-wave. With rising vaccination rates and falling active case counts, the July rate is expected to be lower.
- Driven mainly by the third-wave of COVID-19, provincial retail sales fell by 5.3% between April and May, but this still constitutes an increase of 15.8% since January 2021 and 15.7% since May 2020. Motor vehicle and parts dealers, which is the largest component of retail sales in Nova Scotia (26.6%), fell by 18.3% from April.
- The office vacancy rate, currently at 14.7%, remained essentially unchanged in Q2 2021. The industrial vacancy rate fell dramatically to 4.1% in Q2 2021, down from 5.6% last quarter. This is 4 percentage points below the industrial vacancy rate in Q2 2020 and the lowest it has been since 2013.
- The average home price in Halifax was $468,790 in June, up 28% compared to 12 months ago. However, the sales-to-new listings ratio fell almost 19 points over the same period, signalling a move away from a sellers market.
