PEI workers lowest paid in Canada, those in NWT are highest
A report by Statistics Canada shows weekly earnings grew 4.4 per cent in Canada from October 2009 to October 2010 to an average of $863.33. The growth was partly due to an increase in the average number of hours worked. Manufacturing, wholesale trade, plus mining, quarrying and oil and gas workers saw the biggest jumps in weekly earnings growth. The numbers also show a widening gap in earnings by province with PEI the clear loser in 2010. Growth was only 0.1 per cent for Islanders who continue to have the lowest average weekly earnings at $703.84 per week. That’s 18 per cent less than the national average and 9 per cent lower than the second-lowest paid workers in New Brunswick. Weekly earnings in the Northwest Territories were highest at $1,220.52 and second-highest in Alberta at $1,012.54. The numbers are only for those who are employed, so they do not include government transfers.