Halifax is falling behind on remote work options

Halifax may have the most remote work opportunities within Atlantic Canada, but it is nowhere near the possibilities offered in other metropolitan areas across Canada.

According to a new study from JobLeads, the online job search platform, 4.6 percent of jobs offer remote work and 9.2 percent offer hybrid work. The total work-from-home flexibility is 13.8 percent. 86.2 percent of jobs require a full-time on-site presence. A total of 3910 active jobs were analyzed.

The city is more flexible than other Atlantic Canadian cities, beating out Fredericton (10.2 percent), Charlottetown (7.9 percent) and Saint John (6.9 percent). However, most major Canadian cities have more jobs with work-from-home flexibility, specifically Montreal (34.3 percent), Toronto (22.9 percent), Vancouver (19.5 percent) and Ottawa (15.6 percent).

Overall, Halifax ranks 21st nationally for work-from-home flexibility.

Pressures have continually been ramping up since the end of pandemic measures for workers to return to the office. This is across several industries: finance, government, non-profits and corporations. In 2024, a KPGM survey found 83 percent of Canadian CEOs indicated a full move back to the office within three years.

There are several problems that come up with a lack of work-from-home flexibility where possible. A better work-life balance is one of the most notable benefits, but remote work options are also more inclusive for workers with accessibility needs.

The drawbacks are often focused on isolation, education around technology, and working in a different time zone, sometimes requiring managers to be available for more hours throughout the day or to be smart about their scheduling and expectations. Productivity is often levied as a criticism by proponents who support going back to the office full-time, but Stats Canada data shows labour productivity has generally been on the rise in most industries.

According to a survey from Spark, four-out-of-five Canadians believe work-from-home options are beneficial to employees, with around one-third believing it improves productivity.