Job prospects Cook in Nova Scotia

Job opportunities for Cooks (NOC 6322) are good in Nova Scotia over the next 3 years. These job prospects are also applicable to people working as a cook.

Note: These employment prospects were published in December 2021 based on the information available at the time of analysis. The next update will be in December 2022. To learn more, see our FAQs. You can also find additional information on the Canadian Online Job Posting Dashboard.

Job opportunities in Nova Scotia

cook

Prospects over the next 3 years

Good

The employment outlook will be good for Cooks (NOC 6322) in Nova Scotia for the 2021-2023 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
High employee turnover in this occupation could lead to additional employment opportunities.
Due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities tend to be more favourable during the summer months.

A shortage of cooks has emerged in many parts of the province, as long-term challenges with turnover and attrition have been compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some previous workers in this occupation have changed careers, which has made recruitment and retention more difficult as restaurants reopened or extended their operating hours. Candidates with experience should have very little difficulty finding employment. Shortage conditions may also improve prospects for less experienced jobseekers.

Here are some key facts about Cooks in the Nova Scotia region:

Approximately 6,450 people work in this occupation.
Cooks mainly work in the following sectors:
- Food services and drinking places (NAICS 722): 73%
- Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 5%
- Accommodation services (NAICS 721): 5%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 71% compared to 80% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 29% compared to 20% for all occupations
50% of cooks work all year, while 50% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 30 weeks compared to 30 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of cooks are self-employed compared to an average of 9% for all occupations.