Distribution of hourly wages

One in two employees earns less than $16 an hour

• In 2005, 27% of employees earned less than $12 per hour, down from the 31% of employees earning the equivalent of $12 per hour in 1997, in constant 2005 dollars. This decrease is likely attributable to overall wage growth over time and an increased minimum wage in all provinces. In contrast, the proportion earning $24 or more hourly rose 3% over this period.
• The proportion of employees paid less than $8 an hour has been falling since 2000, after substantial gains at the end of the 1990s. Since what happens in one wage category spills over to the other, the proportion of employees paid $8 to $12 an hour, which decreased at the end of the 1990s, has stabilized at around 20%.
• The proportion of employees earning less than $8 an hour varied greatly by province, as 14% to 21% of employees earned this amount in each of the Atlantic provinces (among the provinces with the lowest minimum wage rates).
• A greater proportion of men than women earned high hourly wages. In 2005, 32% of men earned $24 or more an hour, compared with 20% of women. At the other end of the spectrum, 53% of women earned less than $16 an hour, compared with 39% of men.

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