Average weekly earnings up 3.3 per cent from 2010

Average Canadian earns $875.64 per month: Statistics Canada

Average weekly earnings for non-farm payroll employees increased 0.5 per cent from April to May, rising to $875.64.

That’s an increase of 3.3 per cent from May 2010, according to Statistics Canada.

The average number of hours worked per week remained unchanged from May 2010, at 32.9 hours.

Newfoundland and Labrador leads wage growth

Average weekly earnings rose in every province in the 12 months to May, led by growth in Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta. The slowest growth was in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Average weekly earnings in Newfoundland and Labrador have been growing at a faster pace than that of Canada as a whole since late 2008. In May, Newfoundland and Labrador posted earning levels above the national average for the fourth consecutive month, the first time such a trend has occurred in this province since comparable data became available in 2001.

Wholesale trade and manufacturing experienced highest wage boost

Growth in average weekly earnings was above the national average of 3.3 per cent in four of the 10 largest industrial sectors. The fastest year-over-year increases were in wholesale trade and manufacturing while the slowest occurred in accommodation and food services.

In the 12 months to May, average weekly earnings in wholesale trade increased by 5.5 per cent to $1,064.86. Earnings in this sector have been increasing since the fourth quarter of 2009. Since May 2010, earnings growth has been notable in wholesalers of petroleum products; building material and supplies; and machinery, equipment and supplies.

The second-fastest rate of growth in average weekly earnings in the 12 months to May occurred in manufacturing, where earnings increased by 4.5 per cent to $992.77. This upward trend in earnings started in the fourth quarter of 2009, with notable year-over-year growth in beverage and tobacco product manufacturing; furniture; printing; and plastics and rubber products.

Growth in average weekly earnings was also above the national average in some smaller sectors. Since May 2010, weekly earnings in information and culture have risen by 9.7 per cent to $1,097.07, mainly in telecommunications; broadcasting (except Internet); and motion picture and sound recording industries. In arts, entertainment and recreation, earnings have increased by 6.9 per cent to $570.58, primarily in performing arts, spectator sports and amusement, gambling and recreation industries.

Average weekly hours worked

At 32.9 hours, average weekly hours were unchanged from the previous month and at the same level as 12 months earlier.

Notable year-over-year increases in average weekly hours worked occurred in information and culture (5.4 per cent) and health care and social assistance (2.4 per cent). At the same time, there were declines in other sectors, the largest being in real estate and rental and leasing (3.3 per cent); mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction (2.7 per cent); and arts, entertainment and recreation (1.8 per cent).

Non-farm payroll employment by sector

From April to May, the number of non-farm payroll employees declined by 15,000, following three months of increases. On a year-over-year basis, the number of employees rose by 233,200 (1.6 per cent).

The decrease in monthly payroll employment in May was observed in both goods and services, with the largest declines in construction; educational services; retail trade; and accommodation and food services.

While little changed in May, the fastest year-over-year job growth occurred in mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction (12.1 per cent), where payroll employment rose by 22,200. Growth in this sector was driven by gains in support activities for mining and oil and gas extraction in Alberta.

There was also above average year-over-year employment growth in professional, scientific and technical services (2.5 per cent or 19,000 jobs) and health care and social assistance (2.2 per cent or 35,400 jobs).

 

Average weekly earnings (including overtime) for all employees – Seasonally adjusted

Industry group (North American Industry Classification System)

May 2010

April 2011r

May 2011p

April to May 2011

May 2010 to May 2011

current dollars

% change

Sector aggregate

$847.82

$871.10

$875.64

0.5

3.3

Forestry, logging and support

$955.74

$916.33

$986.00

7.6

3.2

Mining and quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

$1,698.94

$1,705.85

$1,692.97

-0.8

-0.4

Utilities

$1,558.45

$1,664.95

$1,675.54

0.6

7.5

Construction

$1,064.55

$1,067.56

$1,081.36

1.3

1.6

Manufacturing

$949.88

$988.82

$992.77

0.4

4.5

Wholesale trade

$1,009.01

$1,010.20

$1,064.86

5.4

5.5

Retail trade

$496.40

$508.42

$514.78

1.3

3.7

Transportation and warehousing

$877.95

$907.43

$920.16

1.4

4.8

Information and cultural industries

$1,000.41

$1,037.44

$1,097.07

5.7

9.7

Finance and insurance

$1,023.55

$1,044.08

$1,064.65

2.0

4.0

Real estate and rental and leasing

$820.26

$756.99

$810.13

7.0

-1.2

Professional, scientific and technical services

$1,176.53

$1,224.02

$1,218.87

-0.4

3.6

Management of companies and enterprises

$1,137.82

$1,279.52

$1,206.34

-5.7

6.0

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

$714.58

$740.83

$724.83

-2.2

1.4

Educational services

$937.88

$956.63

$949.44

-0.8

1.2

Health care and social assistance

$788.94

$825.62

$808.26

-2.1

2.4

Arts, entertainment and recreation

$533.81

$588.06

$570.58

-3.0

6.9

Accommodation and food services

$356.04

$359.27

$357.00

-0.6

0.3

Other services (excluding public administration)

$693.63

$711.80

$705.83

-0.8

1.8

Public administration

$1,085.50

$1,111.46

$1,105.59

-0.5

1.9

Provinces and territories

Newfoundland and Labrador

$831.18

$874.96

$878.95

0.5

5.7

Prince Edward Island

$718.77

$718.67

$723.13

0.6

0.6

Nova Scotia

$753.06

$764.67

$758.08

-0.9

0.7

New Brunswick

$755.71

$789.29

$787.61

-0.2

4.2

Quebec

$779.02

$792.25

$797.65

0.7

2.4

Ontario

$875.10

$892.20

$899.24

0.8

2.8

Manitoba

$782.57

$809.89

$817.27

0.9

4.4

Saskatchewan

$831.66

$877.36

$860.66

-1.9

3.5

Alberta

$988.73

$1,032.26

$1,037.40

0.5

4.9

British Columbia

$818.44

$835.43

$840.60

0.6

2.7

Yukon

$912.15

$941.12

$966.95

2.7

6.0

Northwest Territories¹

$1,187.37

$1,235.24

$1,215.35

-1.6

2.4

Nunavut¹

$813.87

$868.01

$896.37

3.3

10.1

r = revised
p = preliminary
1. Data not seasonally adjusted.

Number of employees – Seasonally adjusted

Industry group (North American Industry Classification System)

December 2010

May 2010

April 2011r

May 2011p

April to May 2011

May 2010 to May 2011

December 2010 to May 2011

thousands

% change

Sector aggregate

14,842.2

14,636.5

14,884.6

14,869.6

-0.1

1.6

0.2

Forestry, logging and support

39.8

40.0

40.7

37.4

-8.1

-6.5

-6.0

Mining and quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

197.3

184.1

208.8

206.3

-1.2

12.1

4.6

Utilities

120.2

117.6

122.0

123.0

0.8

4.6

2.3

Construction

834.4

822.2

844.6

829.8

-1.8

0.9

-0.6

Manufacturing

1,469.3

1,469.8

1,492.4

1,496.0

0.2

1.8

1.8

Wholesale trade

735.1

727.5

740.9

739.5

-0.2

1.6

0.6

Retail trade

1,864.1

1,847.3

1,851.0

1,845.3

-0.3

-0.1

-1.0

Transportation and warehousing

675.6

668.7

680.4

678.4

-0.3

1.5

0.4

Information and cultural industries

333.2

322.8

322.9

321.3

-0.5

-0.5

-3.6

Finance and insurance

677.7

682.0

682.6

682.3

0.0

0.0

0.7

Real estate and rental and leasing

248.9

239.9

244.0

242.7

-0.5

1.2

-2.5

Professional, scientific and technical services

764.5

755.9

773.6

774.9

0.2

2.5

1.4

Management of companies and enterprises

105.8

106.3

102.7

102.3

-0.4

-3.8

-3.3

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

734.2

724.0

736.5

737.6

0.1

1.9

0.5

Educational services

1,167.8

1,163.1

1,166.1

1,157.1

-0.8

-0.5

-0.9

Health care and social assistance

1,634.5

1,604.7

1,644.2

1,640.2

-0.2

2.2

0.3

Arts, entertainment and recreation

244.9

244.5

243.2

243.5

0.1

-0.4

-0.6

Accommodation and food services

1,066.8

1,051.3

1,074.0

1,069.3

-0.4

1.7

0.2

Other services (excluding public administration)

510.9

507.0

512.3

510.3

-0.4

0.7

-0.1

Public administration

1,053.2

1,047.9

1,054.7

1,066.1

1.1

1.7

1.2

Provinces and territories

Newfoundland and Labrador

203.9

197.4

207.5

205.8

-0.8

4.3

0.9

Prince Edward Island

64.6

64.8

65.0

65.5

0.8

1.1

1.4

Nova Scotia

411.5

400.2

406.5

404.8

-0.4

1.1

-1.6

New Brunswick

321.9

321.9

321.0

320.4

-0.2

-0.5

-0.5

Quebec

3,406.7

3,375.0

3,404.4

3,402.2

-0.1

0.8

-0.1

Ontario

5,690.3

5,617.3

5,701.7

5,694.8

-0.1

1.4

0.1

Manitoba

561.3

555.5

560.5

560.3

0.0

0.9

-0.2

Saskatchewan

446.5

438.4

445.7

445.6

0.0

1.6

-0.2

Alberta

1,770.0

1,730.6

1,789.3

1,792.9

0.2

3.6

1.3

British Columbia

1,906.1

1,877.3

1,922.8

1,917.0

-0.3

2.1

0.6

Yukon

20.1

19.7

20.3

20.5

1.0

4.1

2.0

Northwest Territories¹

27.8

27.1

28.0

28.2

0.7

4.1

1.4

Nunavut¹

11.4

10.8

11.4

11.2

-1.8

3.7

-1.8

r = revised
p = preliminary
1. Data not seasonally adjusted.

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