Many workers in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick earning below living wage
Two separate reports on the living wages in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia reveal big gaps between what people need to earn just to get by and what they're actually taking home.
Reports on living wages in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have uncovered significant disparities between what workers need to earn to meet their basic needs and what they are actually earning. Nova Scotia's average living wage rose by nearly four percent, reaching $30 an hour in Halifax, while the minimum wage remains at $17 an hour.
Half of Nova Scotia's workers earn below the living wage, with housing and transportation costs largely contributing to the increase. Similarly, New Brunswick's living wage is $24.84 an hour, which is $9 less than the province's minimum wage of $15.90 an hour. Nearly 40 percent of New Brunswick workers earn below the living wage, with 74 percent being full-time workers over the age of 20, and 53 percent employed in larger firms.
Experts argue that the living wage is a crucial measure of poverty, emphasizing that it reflects the bare minimum needed to afford basic necessities. They call for higher wages, better support programs, affordable housing, and stronger rent protections to address the living wage gap and prevent poverty and homelessness.
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