Only 1 out of every 2 vacancies can be filled, with second vacancy removed from budget as soon as job is filled
Government departments and agencies in Nova Scotia will not be able to hire all the workers they need, as the provincial government issues a new directive limiting the number of vacant full-time positions that can be filled, according to a report.
Effective immediately, only one out of every two vacancies may be filled, with the second vacancy to be removed from the department’s budget as soon as a job is filled, noted CBC.
Finance Minister John Lohr said the measure is a direct response to the province’s projected $1.2-billion deficit for the current fiscal year.
“We’re keeping a close eye on our fiscal position, that’s the reality,” Lohr told CBC News. He described the approach as “targeted and strategic,” emphasising that the government wants to avoid mass lay-offs or job cuts.
“We want to do this with creative solutions, not with mass lay-offs or job cuts, and we want to be targeted and strategic. This is a way for us to do that,” Lohr said.
According to the directive, the policy does not apply to front-line civil servants who perform essential public-facing duties. Exempted roles include correctional officers, social workers, health-care workers, teachers, and employees at Access Nova Scotia offices.
Previously, Nova Scotia announced it is eliminating the five-year certification renewal requirement for most skilled trades professionals and reducing exam challenge fees by nearly half, as part of efforts to reduce administrative barriers and costs in the sector.
Targeted measures to grow economy
Lohr said it is difficult to estimate the savings that may result from the policy, noting that any impact will be incremental and take time to materialise. He told the CBC the government is working on targeted measures to help grow the economy and remains optimistic about future improvements, but acknowledged there is no avoiding the current financial situation.
Just last week, Nova Scotians started public consultations on what should be in the 2026–27 budget.
“The next provincial budget will be about growing our economy and addressing our deficit. We’ll be making decisions that will allow us to do both,” said Lohr, Minister of Finance and Treasury Board. “We want to hear Nova Scotians’ ideas about how we can build a stronger economy, one that helps more Nova Scotians get good jobs and generate money we can use to support the services we need.”
On the federal level, Ottawa’s Budget 2025 marks a significant shift in the federal government’s approach to public sector management, with plans to reduce the size of the federal public service by about 40,000 positions—or 10 per cent—by 2028-29.
Canada Post and Air Canada have also announced workforce reductions recently.
Union unhappy with Nova Scotia directive
Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union president Sandra Mullen said the directive in Nova Scotia was not a surprise, but she questioned whether it is the right move, according to the report.
While she welcomed the exemption for front-line workers, Mullen said union officials have questions about how the government is defining front-line positions and what jobs are included.
“Front-facing positions are important, absolutely, but behind those there are a lot of services provided to Nova Scotians and I don’t believe that this is a time to reduce the services that we are providing,” Mullen told CBC.
