P.E.I. wages struggle to keep up
Wage growth below national average
Wages on P.E.I. continue to be the lowest in the country.
Last week Statistics Canada reported average weekly wages of $840.36 for March. The national average was $997.34, and the next lowest wage was in Nova Scotia, at $872.35.
Wage growth rate was pacing behind the national average. Since last March it is up 2.3 per cent, as compared to 3.1 per cent nationally.
Most of the wage gains have been in recent months. Until October the rate had been bouncing around $820 per month.
A spokesperson for the P.E.I. government noted while the growth rate was below the national average, it was above average for the region. The spokesperson said with key sectors, such as manufacturing, growing, the government expects the upward trend since October to continue.