Minimum wage essentially unchanged since 1975
by The Canadian Press
Statistics Canada says in terms of in constant dollars, the minimum wage in Canada in 2013 is almost identical to the rate of pay in 1975
OTTAWA—Statistics Canada says the average minimum wage in 2013 was almost identical to the 1975 minimum wage, in constant dollars.
The agency says the average minimum wage was $10.14 in 2013 and the 1975 wage, expressed in 2013 dollars, was $10.13.
Between 1975 and 2013, however, the minimum wage in 2013 dollars, varied, slipping to $7.53 in 1986 before rising to $8.81 in 1996.
Up to 2003, the real minimum wage remained stable at around $8.50.
The report says 6.7 per cent of all paid employees earned the minimum wage in 2013, up from 5.0 per cent in 1997.
It says young employees, less-educated employees, part-timers and people in service industries were most likely to be paid minimum wage
