P.E.I. wages slipping against Canadian average
Wages peaked in September at 87% of Canadian average
Average weekly wages on P.E.I. have been struggling to catch up with the Canadian average in recent months, according to the latest report from Statistics Canada.
Since the middle of 2014 — when the average wage on P.E.I. was just over $770 a week, or 82 per cent of the Canadian average — P.E.I. pay had been making gains. In September it peaked at almost 87 per cent of the Canadian average, but slipped below 86 per cent in January.
The average weekly wage on P.E.I. was $827.81 in January, while the Canadian average was $967.15.
Health care pay up, manufacturing down
Changes in pay on P.E.I. have not been uniform across sectors, with some up and some down.
| Manufacturing | -20.3% |
| Wholesale and retail | -3% |
| Finance and insurance | +10.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | +12.7% |
Pay in the finance and insurance sector and the health care sector are up double digits since September, while manufacturing pay is down more than 20 per cent.
Pay in retail and wholesale is down about three per cent, which is significant because that sector is the Island's largest employer.
P.E.I. has the lowest average weekly wage in the country.
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