N.B. family of four needs $24 hourly wage: advocacy group
A family with two working parents and two young children would need an hourly wage of more than $24 to cover basic needs and live in dignity in New Brunswick, according to a new report.
The Human Development Council – a Saint John-based social issues advocacy group – says the living wage in the province for a family of four is $24.62. A living wage is the hourly rate a family would need to earn to support childhood development, avoid financial stress, and participate in the community.
“Many families in the province earn less than a living wage and struggle to make ends meet,” said Randy Hatfield, executive director of the Human Development Council, in a news release. “While we are not advocating for the living wage to become the minimum wage, the data supports the need for an increase. Furthermore, the living wage framework underscores the role of effective public policies in making life more affordable for families.”
The current minimum wage in New Brunswick is $15.30, which is the second-lowest in Atlantic Canada. It increased from $14.75 last April.
The report from the Human Development Council says it calculated the living wage in accordance with the Canadian Living Wage Framework, which defines the wage as a household’s hourly rate at which it can meet its basic needs after government transfers are added to the income.
The report found shelter, food, and child care make up the three biggest expenses for families in New Brunswick.
“The living wage methodology has its limitations,” the report reads. “It does not reflect the reality of people who do not work full-time. Furthermore, it uses a specific reference family with working parents and two young children.
“This living wage is likely not high enough to meet the financial needs of different family types, like couples with more than two children, families with younger children requiring more intensive and expensive child care, or families with a single income earner and multiple children.”
The report broke down the living wage for the three biggest cities in New Brunswick:
- Fredericton: $25.88 (up $1.38 from 2023)
- Moncton: $24.07 (up $1.32 from 2023)
- Saint John: $24.07 (up $0.72 from 2023)
“New Brunswick does not have a dominant urban area,” the release notes. “Therefore, data availability is sparse, especially for geographies outside of Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton. There is sufficient data to calculate living wages for the three cities but in other less populated areas of the province, that is not the case.”
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
First-ever human case of H5 avian influenza in Canada found in B.C.: officials
B.C. health officials say they have detected Canada's first-ever case of H5 avian influenza in a human.
Death confirmed at Ambassador Bridge after hours-long closure
More details have been released about a police investigation at the Ambassador Bridge that connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, MI.
After Trump’s win, some women are considering the 4B movement
Women are sharing information on social media about a feminist movement in which straight women refuse to marry, have children, date or have sex with men.
Woman killed after truck crashes through Fort McMurray Boston Pizza
A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.
Flower delivery leads to arrest for St. Thomas, Ont. resident
St. Thomas police say they arrested a 72-year-old St. Thomas resident after their ex-partner reported receiving flowers and a note left on the porch.
Cornwall, Ont. prepares for potential influx of asylum seekers following U.S. election
As the possibility of mass deportations looms following Donald Trump's re-election on Tuesday, border towns like the City of Cornwall are preparing for a potential influx of asylum seekers.
Here are new guidelines for preventing stroke
The majority of strokes could be prevented, according to new guidelines aimed at helping people and their doctors do just that.
Opinion Was music really better when you were younger? Or is your mind deceiving you?
As I see other generations of music lovers say music was so much better when they were younger, I wondered why. We can’t all be right — or maybe we are? I talked to experts in how music influences our brains to find out.
Actor Tony Todd, known for his role in the movie 'Candyman' and its sequel, dies at 69
Actor Tony Todd, known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and roles in many other films and television shows, has died, his longtime manager confirmed. He was 69.