The Alberta Living Wage Network (ALWN) has released updated living wages for municipalities across Alberta, and Barrhead’s is down 12 per cent from 2024.
A living wage is an affordability indicator, specifically, the hourly wage needed for a worker to cover their basic expenses and participate in their community.
According to the ALWN, a living wage in Barrhead is currently $21.55 per hour.
Calgary sits at $26.50 per hour, up 8.4 per cent, and Edmonton is up seven per cent from last year, to $22.30.
The network releases data for 21 municipalities, 15 of which saw increases this year. These increases were largely due to changes in child care, shelter and transportation costs, officials note.
The province recently updated its childcare affordability program, and the network says results have been mixed. According to the ALWN, 15 of the 21 communities studied saw greater benefits last year, while only six saw lower toddler child care expenses with the flat fee this year.
Alberta’s current minimum wage is $15 per hour, which only covers 50-80 per cent of what’s needed to live in many of Alberta’s communities when compared to the living wage. The network states this indicates structural problems that detriment all parties, as workers have less to spend, businesses see higher turnover and organizations have to manage rising service demands.
The Ministry of Jobs, Economy Trade and Immigration issued the following statement in response to the report:
“With affordable housing, one of the lowest provincial income tax rates in the country, no provincial sales tax, and limitless opportunities, Alberta continues to be the best place in Canada to live, work, invest and raise a family. We’re building on that advantage and helping Albertans keep more of their hard-earned dollars by delivering on our promise to cut taxes – saving individual Albertans an average of $750 or $1,500 for a two-income household.”
According to the network’s 2023 figures, about six in 10 minimum wage workers were female and more than one in three was an immigrant. That year, more than 16,000 minimum wage earners were supporting a child under 18 and three of 10 were the head of their household.
The Government of Alberta says that 95 per cent of Albertans earn more than a minimum wage, and 92 per cent of minimum wage earners do not live in a low-income household.
The ALWN calculates living wages annually in an effort to raise awareness about current costs and public policy changes impacting affordability.
