After 3.5 years under UCP, AB has worst wage growth in Canada

Late last month, Statistics Canada released updated data on employment and average weekly earnings for each of the provinces. The new seasonally adjusted data was as of December 2022.

I figured I’d take a look to see how the wage situation looks in Alberta.

AB	$1,268.07
ON	$1,197.94
NL	$1,176.83
BC	$1,153.32
SK	$1,147.21
QC	$1,129.54
NB	$1,077.70
MB	$1,073.01
NS	$1,033.77
PEI	$985.86

Unsurprisingly, Alberta had the highest average weekly wages in Canada. This is something Alberta politicians have been extolling for years.

But take a look at the increase in weekly wages.

In December 2022, the average weekly wages were $1,268.07 in Alberta. The month before, that number was $1,276.69. That’s a $8.62 decrease, the second largest decrease in the country.

	Nov 2022	Dec 2022	Change	% change
QC	$1,123.14	$1,129.54	$6.40	0.57%
NB	$1,076.16	$1,077.70	$1.54	0.14%
NS	$1,032.26	$1,033.77	$1.51	0.15%
SK	$1,148.74	$1,147.21	-$1.53	-0.13%
MB	$1,075.73	$1,073.01	-$2.72	-0.25%
ON	$1,200.82	$1,197.94	-$2.88	-0.24%
NL	$1,180.75	$1,176.83	-$3.92	-0.33%
PEI	$991.03	$985.86	-$5.17	-0.52%
AB	$1,276.69	$1,268.07	-$8.62	-0.68%
BC	$1,176.34	$1,153.32	-$23.02	-1.96%

When we look at the increase as a percentage of August’s job numbers, we see that Alberta is still in second worst place.

Next, let’s look at the last year.

	Dec 2021	Dec 2022	Change	% change
NL	$1,102.90	$1,176.83	$73.93	6.70%
QC	$1,081.40	$1,129.54	$48.14	4.45%
NB	$1,030.43	$1,077.70	$47.27	4.59%
MB	$1,032.76	$1,073.01	$40.25	3.90%
NS	$997.67	$1,033.77	$36.10	3.62%
ON	$1,163.03	$1,197.94	$34.91	3.00%
PEI	$951.15	$985.86	$34.71	3.65%
AB	$1,240.37	$1,268.07	$27.70	2.23%
SK	$1,120.94	$1,147.21	$26.27	2.34%
BC	$1,134.84	$1,153.32	$18.48	1.63%

Alberta actually had the third smallest increase when we compare to December 2021. So, wages still increased, but by not as much as 7 other provinces.

The national average was $38.78, which was over $10 more a week than what workers in Alberta saw wages increase by.

On a percentage basis, however, we drop to second from the bottom, with only British Columbia seeing worse wage growth that us..

Here’s what job numbers look like when we compare December 2022 to December 2020, 9 months into the pandemic.

	Dec 2020	Dec 2022	Change	% change
NL	$1,082.51	$1,176.83	$94.32	8.71%
QC	$1,053.78	$1,129.54	$75.76	7.19%
NB	$1,006.32	$1,077.70	$71.38	7.09%
NS	$968.92	$1,033.77	$64.85	6.69%
AB	$1,204.56	$1,268.07	$63.51	5.27%
MB	$1,017.45	$1,073.01	$55.56	5.46%
PEI	$936.82	$985.86	$49.04	5.23%
SK	$1,099.20	$1,147.21	$48.01	4.37%
ON	$1,152.45	$1,197.94	$45.49	3.95%
BC	$1,110.36	$1,153.32	$42.96	3.87%

Here we see that Alberta had the 5th largest increase in wages over the last two years, but 6th largest relative to average weekly wages in December 2020.

But look how bad things are if we go 3 years out, to December 2019, 6 months after the UCP cut the corporate profit tax, what they called a “Job Creation Tax Cut”.

	Dec 2019	Dec 2022	Change	% change
QC	$987.77	$1,129.54	$141.77	14.35%
BC	$1,014.89	$1,153.32	$138.43	13.64%
ON	$1,066.40	$1,197.94	$131.54	12.33%
MB	$952.73	$1,073.01	$120.28	12.62%
NB	$960.89	$1,077.70	$116.81	12.16%
NS	$919.95	$1,033.77	$113.82	12.37%
PEI	$876.38	$985.86	$109.48	12.49%
NL	$1,069.32	$1,176.83	$107.51	10.05%
SK	$1,047.83	$1,147.21	$99.38	9.48%
AB	$1,173.28	$1,268.07	$94.79	8.08%

Alberta’s growth in average weekly wages over the last 3 years was the lowest of all the provinces in Canada. We also had the lowest percentage-based increase. Saskatchewan was the next lowest, at $99.38. Workers in every other province saw at least an average increase of over $100 a week.

Québec, however, had the highest increase to average weekly wages over the last 3 years, rising by $141.77 a week, almost $50 more a week than what the average Alberta worker saw during the same period.

Finally, here’s how wages changed since December 2018, the last December under the NDP.

	Dec 2018	Dec 2022	Change	% change
QC	$943.72	$1,129.54	$185.82	19.69%
BC	$977.24	$1,153.32	$176.08	18.02%
ON	$1,033.24	$1,197.94	$164.70	15.94%
NB	$920.70	$1,077.70	$157.00	17.05%
NS	$889.97	$1,033.77	$143.80	16.16%
SK	$1,007.63	$1,147.21	$139.58	13.85%
PEI	$851.92	$985.86	$133.94	15.72%
MB	$940.42	$1,073.01	$132.59	14.10%
AB	$1,143.12	$1,268.07	$124.95	10.93%
NL	$1,053.94	$1,176.83	$122.89	11.66%

Compared to the last December when the NDP were in charge, Alberta’s workers saw an average increase to weekly wages of $124.95, the second smallest increase in the country.

Relative to December 2018’s wages, however, that increase was only 10.93%, the smallest increase among all the provinces.

Québec had the largest increase, with the average worker there getting nearly $200 more per week than they did 4 years ago. Québec’s workers got an extra $185.82, an increase of 19.69%, the largest percentage-based increase in the country.

If these sort of increases keep happening, Alberta workers may no longer have the highest wages in the country. Here, take a look at this chart, which compares Québec, with the largest increase in weekly wages, to Alberta.

See that? Québec has been catching up to Alberta over the last four years. I mean, they’re not there yet, but they’ve gone from being $199.40 a week behind Alberta to $138.53 a week behind them. If this keeps up, they’ll be $77.66 behind in the next 4 years.