Alberta leads in average earnings
StatsCan says manufacturing pay almost rebounds from downturn
Last Updated: Friday, July 30, 2010 | 11:19 AM ET
CBC News
Alberta continued to have the country's highest average weekly earnings among the provinces in May, despite a dip from the month earlier, Statistics Canada reported Friday.
The average was $985.17, down 0.8 from April, followed by Ontario's $874.66, a 0.3 per cent increase from the month earlier.
The federal agency said those were the only two provinces in which earnings were above the national average of $848.45.
Statistics Canada also reported that average earnings rose 3.7 per cent from May 2009 to $848.45, their fastest year-over-year increase since February 2008.
Wages in the manufacturing sector have recovered most of their decline during the recession.
Between July 2008 and October 2009, they fell by 6.1 per cent, but since then have recovered 5.4 per cent.
The industrial sectors reporting the biggest increases in average weekly earnings over the year to May 2010 were administration and support, and waste management and remediation services, up 10.9 per cent, followed by educational services at 10.3 per cent and accommodation and food services, with a 6.5 per cent rise.
