Statistics Canada recently released data on average weekly earnings for workers across Canada, so I thought I’d see how Alberta workers fared in comparison to workers in other provinces.
The new release includes data up to April 2022 and covers all industrial sectors except those primarily involved in agriculture, fishing and trapping, private household services, religious organisations, and military personnel, as well as business that haven’t been classified under the North American Industry Classification System.
It also includes overtime pay.
In April 2022, Alberta workers, on average, made $1,257.55 a week, including overtime. Assuming that average worker put in 40 hours a week, their hourly wage would be about $31.44, and their annual wage would be around $65,392.60.
Alberta workers made more per week, on average, in April than workers in other provinces.
| Weekly | Hourly | Yearly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB | $1,257.55 | $31.44 | $65,392.60 |
| ON | $1,207.72 | $30.19 | $62,801.44 |
| BC | $1,176.54 | $29.41 | $61,180.08 |
| SK | $1,143.80 | $28.60 | $59,477.60 |
| NL | $1,133.28 | $28.33 | $58,930.56 |
| QC | $1,117.39 | $27.93 | $58,104.28 |
| NB | $1,072.99 | $26.82 | $55,795.48 |
| MB | $1,044.77 | $26.12 | $54,328.04 |
| NS | $1,030.15 | $25.75 | $53,567.80 |
| PEI | $968.92 | $24.22 | $50,383.84 |
Here’s where it starts to get interesting though. Compare how much the average worker in each province made in March and April.
| Mar 2022 | Apr 2022 | Change | % change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | $1,004.73 | $1,030.15 | $25.42 | 2.53% |
| BC | $1,161.22 | $1,176.54 | $15.32 | 1.32% |
| SK | $1,131.77 | $1,143.80 | $12.03 | 1.06% |
| MB | $1,036.95 | $1,044.77 | $7.82 | 0.75% |
| QC | $1,112.96 | $1,117.39 | $4.43 | 0.40% |
| ON | $1,204.32 | $1,207.72 | $3.40 | 0.28% |
| NB | $1,071.06 | $1,072.99 | $1.93 | 0.18% |
| NL | $1,134.33 | $1,133.28 | -$1.05 | -0.09% |
| AB | $1,258.78 | $1,257.55 | -$1.23 | -0.10% |
| PEI | $974.50 | $968.92 | -$5.58 | -0.57% |
Alberta was one of the worst-performing provinces between March and April as far as increasing wages. Only 3 provinces saw their average worker make less money in April than in March, and Alberta was one of them.
Things look slightly better if we compare April 2022 with April 2021.
| Apr 2021 | Apr 2022 | Change | % change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | $955.64 | $1,030.15 | $74.51 | 7.80% |
| NB | $1,008.37 | $1,072.99 | $64.62 | 6.41% |
| BC | $1,112.04 | $1,176.54 | $64.50 | 5.80% |
| QC | $1,066.43 | $1,117.39 | $50.96 | 4.78% |
| NL | $1,087.03 | $1,133.28 | $46.25 | 4.25% |
| ON | $1,168.17 | $1,207.72 | $39.55 | 3.39% |
| PEI | $937.88 | $968.92 | $31.04 | 3.31% |
| SK | $1,109.33 | $1,143.80 | $34.47 | 3.11% |
| AB | $1,222.94 | $1,257.55 | $34.61 | 2.83% |
| MB | $1,022.90 | $1,044.77 | $21.87 | 2.14% |
In both cases, Alberta saw the largest average weekly wages. However, they saw the 4th lowest wage increase during that period. They drop down to 2nd lowest, if you look at the percentage change.
So, wages did indeed go up for the average Alberta worker between April 2021 and April 2022, but workers in 8 other provinces saw their average wage increase at greater rates.
Now, let’s look at 3 years, between April 2019 and April 2022.
| Apr 2019 | Apr 2022 | Change | % change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC | $991.53 | $1,176.54 | $185.01 | 18.66% |
| QC | $951.90 | $1,117.39 | $165.49 | 17.39% |
| ON | $1,042.23 | $1,207.72 | $165.49 | 15.88% |
| NB | $932.37 | $1,072.99 | $140.62 | 15.08% |
| NS | $895.16 | $1,030.15 | $134.99 | 15.08% |
| PEI | $854.18 | $968.92 | $114.74 | 13.43% |
| MB | $942.84 | $1,044.77 | $101.93 | 10.81% |
| AB | $1,142.97 | $1,257.55 | $114.58 | 10.02% |
| SK | $1,042.39 | $1,143.80 | $101.41 | 9.73% |
| NL | $1,064.88 | $1,133.28 | $68.40 | 6.42% |
During the month the UCP took office, the average weekly wages for Alberta workers was the highest in the country. As I’ve already pointed out, they were still the highest 3 years later.
However, while the UCP have been inpower, the increase in the average weekly wage for Alberta workers was lower than 6 other provinces. That number increases to 7 provinces, if we look at how much wages increased relative to 2019 wages.
And while that seems kind of bad. It could’ve been worse.
Check out how Alberta wages did during the first 3 years while the Alberta NDP were in government.
| Apr 2015 | Apr 2018 | Change | % change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MB | $867.55 | $934.75 | $67.20 | 7.75% |
| NB | $853.50 | $903.25 | $49.75 | 5.83% |
| QC | $876.33 | $925.61 | $49.28 | 5.62% |
| BC | $904.26 | $954.22 | $49.96 | 5.52% |
| ON | $964.72 | $1,015.12 | $50.40 | 5.22% |
| PEI | $805.46 | $840.35 | $34.89 | 4.33% |
| NS | $836.45 | $859.03 | $22.58 | 2.70% |
| SK | $978.36 | $1,004.59 | $26.23 | 2.68% |
| NL | $1,016.85 | $1,029.15 | $12.30 | 1.21% |
| AB | $1,151.60 | $1,153.88 | $2.28 | 0.20% |
Wage performance under the NDP was pathetic.
The average Alberta worker made only an extra $2.28 per week after 3 years. The next lowest province—Newfoundland and Labrador—saw their average worker get an increase that was more than 5 times that.
As well, Alberta was the only province where the average worker saw an increase to their weekly wage that was less than 1%. And remember, that was after 3 whole years.
No matter how you look at it, Alberta workers, while they still make more than everyone else, are finding it tougher to keep up inflation increases.
For example, the Consumer Price Index for Alberta in April 2019 was 143.7. This past April, it had jumped to 157.0. That’s a 9.26% increase in inflation, which is barely below the 10.02% increase to the average weekly wage.
But when you include all 7 years of rule between the NDP and UCP, the average weekly wages increased by only 9.2%, from $1,151.60 a week to $1,257.55.
The Consumer Price Index, on the other hand, increased 17.96% during the same period, from 133.1 in April 2015 to 157.0 in April 2022.
Inflation has increased nearly twice as fast as the average weekly wage during the same period.
