A recent report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed how Canada’s minimum wage compares to other developed countries – and it doesn’t look good.
Sitting in ninth position, Canadians on minimum wage can expect to take home $6.95 an hour – that’s after tax and other deductions are taken into account, along with the cost of living.
Here are the top five countries, with their equivalent minimum wage in Canadian dollars.
- Australia – $9.24
- Luxembourg – $8.95
- Belgium – $8.30
- Ireland – $8.19
- France – $7.98
Eight countries, including Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, were not included in the report because there are no set national rules on minimum pay – many of them have strong labour unions and established arrangements for collective bargaining which means governments don’t have to step in.
The OECD report shows that in Australia – the most generous nation – a single minimum wage worker with two children would have to work just six hours a week to lift themselves above the poverty line because they would also receive state benefits.
"They have a high minimum wage and interestingly they have a low tax burden," said Herwig Immervoll, the author of the OECD report. "[Australians] recognize that supporting low wage earners through the tax system is important."
While Canada is far from a top performer, it could definitely be worse – bottom-of-the-list Mexico has a minimum wage equivalent to 97c.
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