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The Daily. Monday, July 24, 2000
By the hour or by the week, annual average wages in 1999 increased at about double the 1998 pace, according to data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
During 1999, the 12 million employees in Canada earned an average $16.14 an hour, or $595.62 a week.
The average hourly wage increased by 39 cents or 2.5% from 1998, just over double the 1.2% increase from 1997. The average weekly wage rose $15.73, or 2.7%, compared with 1.4% in 1998.
The increase in average weekly wages was somewhat more than the increase in hourly wages because employees in 1999 worked slightly longer hours on average than they did in 1998.
Both increases exceeded the average 1.7% rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in 1999. This means that real hourly average wages, adjusted for growth in the CPI, rose 0.8%, while real weekly average wages increased 1.0%.
Hourly wages rose faster for men than women. However, because the number of work hours increased for women and declined for men, average weekly wages increased at a faster rate for women.
Women earned an average of $14.38 an hour in 1999, up 2.3% from 1998. Men made an average of $17.77 an hour, 2.7% higher than in 1998.
Weekly salaries for women averaged $484.52 in 1999, compared with $470.64 in 1998, a 2.9% increase. The average weekly wage rate for men was $698.53, up 2.6%.
LFS data show that, for the third straight year, women made 81 cents for every dollar earned by men.
Average hourly wages increased most (+2.8%) among core-age workers (those aged 25 to 54). However, growth in average weekly wages was strongest among young people aged 15 to 24 at 3.3%.
Employees in Ontario made an average of $633.05 a week in 1999, highest among the provinces. At $625.22, British Columbia was the only other province in which the average wage was higher than the national average. Average weekly wages were lowest in the four Atlantic provinces.
Hourly wages rose 4.0% in Alberta, the strongest growth rate among the provinces. Weekly wages increased fastest in both Alberta and Ontario, (+3.6%).
Each quarter, Labour force update features the latest information and relevant trends relating to a particular labour market issue. Informative commentary, charts and analytical tables provide concise and up-to-date information and the publication is a useful starting point for further research.
Volume 4, number 2 of Labour force update (71-005-XPB, $29/$96) is now available. See How to order products.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Geoff Bowlby (613-951-3325; fax: 613-951-2869), Labour Statistics Division.