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
Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Canadians gathered Monday in cities and towns across the country to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
Canada cancels automatic 10-year multiple-entry visas, tightens rules
Canada has announced changes to their visitor visa policies, effectively ending the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas, according to new rules outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Trump names Stephen Miller to be deputy chief of policy in new administration
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration.
Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets misprint on 'Wicked' dolls packaging that links to porn site
Toy giant Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets an error on the packaging of its 'Wicked' movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website.
Alien-like signal from 2023 has been decoded. The next step is to figure out what it means
If Earth's astronomical observatories were to pick up a signal from outer space, it would need an all-hands-on-deck effort to decipher the extraterrestrial message. A father-daughter team of citizen scientists recently deciphered the message. Its meaning, however, remains a mystery.
Twin port shutdowns risk more damage to Canadian economy: business groups
Business groups are raising concerns about the broad effects of another round of labour disruptions in the transport sector as Canada faces shutdowns at its two biggest ports.
Experts investigate possible tornado in Fergus, Ont.
A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.
Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.
Bleeding and in pain, a woman endured a harrowing wait for miscarriage care due to Georgia's restrictive abortion law
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision eliminated the federal right to abortion, miscarriage management has become trickier and in some cases, deadlier.