Slides from the launch of the 2020 living wage rates for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

1. Living wages in Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick 2020
Chelsea Driscoll and Christine Saulnier
September 2, 2020 #LivingWagesMaritimes
@ccpans on Twitter
@SaintJohnHDC On Twitter

2. Agenda
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1. Introduction by Christine Saulnier, Nova Scotia Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
• How is the living wage calculated?
• Overview of method
• Explain budget
• What are the living wages for the 4 Nova Scotia communities? Discuss briefly how they compare
• Overview of update for Halifax and Antigonish (what’s happened since 2018)?
2. Chelsea Driscoll, Saint John Human Development Council to discuss Saint John living wage
3. Responses from Community Representatives
4. Concluding remarks: benefits of paying a living wage and what governments can do
5. Question and Answer

3. 3
Calculating the living wage
Canadian Living Wage Framework:
http://www.livingwagecanada.ca/files/7813/8243/8036/living_wage_full_document.pdf

4. 4
Living wage budget
Halifax Living Wage Budget Items as % of total, 2019 costs

5. 5
Comparing NS Communities
Monthly Family Expenses 2019
Halifax Antigonish Cape Breton Bridgewater
Food $841.18 $898.36 $870.47 $898.36
Clothing and Footwear $185.02 $185.02 $185.02 $185.02
Shelter $1,637.38 $1,485.49 $1,294.05 $1,129.57
Transportation $552.00 $483.33 $504.37 $503.67
Child Care $1,319.08 $1,104.63 $1,078.78 $1,107.90
Health Care $176.33 $176.33 $176.33 $176.33
Contingency/Emergency $254.33 $228.08 $205.92 $196.00
Parent Education $116.29 $116.29 $116.29 $116.29
Household Expenses $600.02 $620.17 $590.43 $590.43
Social Inclusion $400.02 $413.45 $393.62 $393.62
Totals $6,081.66 $5,711.16 $5,415.29 $5,297.20

6. 6
Living wage rates 2020 for Nova Scotia
Individual 2020 Halifax Antigonish Bridgewater Cape Breton
Hourly Living Wage $21.80 $19.55 $16.80 $17.65
Annual Liveable Income $39,676.00 $35,581.00 $30,576.00 $32,123.00
Monthly $3,306.33 $2,965.08 $2,548.00 $2,676.92
Living Wage Halifax Antigonish
2020 $21.80 19.55
2018 $19.00 17.85
Percent change from last
estimate (2018)
14.70% 10.10%

7. Living wage rate for Saint John
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In 2020 the Living Wage
for Saint John is
$19.55
This is an increase of $1.37 since 2018,
which is 7.5% higher than the 2018 rate
The 2020 Living Wage of $19.55 yields an
annual household income of nearly
$69,000 (after taxes and transfers)

8. Household Expenses (Saint John)
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More than half (61%) of the family’s
budget is allocated to child care, food
and shelter
Child care is the most expensive budget
item and costs the family $14,866.43
annually
Saint John Living Wage Budget Items as % of total, 2019 costs

9. Household Expenses (Saint John)
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Shelter is the second most expensive
budget item. It includes rent, content
insurance, utilities and internet. It costs
the family $14,431.18/year
Food is the third most expensive budget
item and costs the family
$12,602.98/year
Saint John Living Wage Budget Items as % of total, 2019 costs

10. Household Expenses (Saint John)
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Item Monthly Annually
Child Care $ 1,238.86 $ 14,866.34
Shelter $ 1,202.60 $ 14,431.18
Food $ 1,050.25 $ 12,602.98
Household Expenses $ 606.43 $ 7,277.20
Transportation $ 520.99 $ 6,251.82
Social Inclusion $ 404.29 $ 4,851.47
Contingency/Emergency $ 228.08 $ 2,737.00
Clothing and Footwear $ 202.83 $ 2,434.00
Health Care $ 176.33 $ 2,115.96
Parent Education $ 113.33 $ 1,360.00
Total $ 5,744.00 $ 68,927.95

11. What’s happened to costs since 2018?
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The Saint John family’s
expenses increased by
4.3%
since 2018
According to the CMHC median rent for a
three-bedroom apartment in the south-
end is $900/month, an increase of
$100/month since 2018.

12. What’s happened to costs since 2018?
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The Saint John family’s
expenses increased by
4.3%
since 2018
Child care costs the family
$1,238.86/month and has increased by
$59.20/month since 2018

13. Comparing New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Taxes and Transfers
• SJ family receives additional $590/year in
comparison to the Halifax family
(NBWIS and NB HST Credit)
• NB provincial tax rates are lower than NS
• SJ family receives additional $1,115.82
from the CCB since their employment
income is lower
Costs
• The major cost difference between Halifax
and Saint John is shelter.
• Halifax’s shelter costs are 31% higher than
Saint John’s, a difference of $5,217.36
annually
• Child care and transportation costs are
slightly higher in Halifax than in Saint John
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14. Comparing New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Child care in New Brunswick
• Since 2018 the Government of New
Brunswick as implemented a new child
care subsidy program (Designate Centre
Parent Subsidy) where families with gross
incomes below $80,000 can receive a
child care subsidy on a sliding scale
• If we assume the reference family is able
to access the child care subsidy the
living wage decreases by $1.75 in Saint
John
Child care in Nova Scotia
• The Nova Scotia government is rolling out
the implementation of universal preschool
for four-year-olds this fall
• If our reference family’s youngest child
qualified for free child care, or was old
enough to access pre-primary this would
lower the living wage by $2.20 in Halifax
and by similar amounts in the other
communities
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15. Responses from Community Representative
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Suzanne Macneil, President, Halifax Dartmouth District Labour Council
Tom Webb, Vice-Chair, Lahave River Credit Union Board, Bridgewater, NS
Mandy Burke-Evans, Social Enterprise Director, Saint John Learning Exchange

16. Living Wage Benefits
Employers Win
• Greater corporate social
responsibility
• Higher employee loyalty
and productivity
• Lower absenteeism
• Decreased employee
turnover
• Cost savings for staff
hiring and training
Employees Win
• Increased wages and
economic well-being
• Access to benefits and
workplace support
• Reduced stress
• Improved mental and
physical health
• Greater self-sufficiency
• Reduced reliance on
social programs
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Community Wins
• More social
participation
• Larger taxpayer base
• Increased consumer
purchasing power
• Reduced costs of health
care and social services
• Increased local
investment

17. What can governments do?
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