Living Wage Basics
What is a Living Wage?
A Living Wage is the amount of income an individual or family requires to meet their basic needs, to maintain a safe, decent standard of living in their communities and to save for future needs and goals.
How much is a Living Wage?
Calgary’s Living Wage Action Team has determined that an individual working full time (35 hours per week, 52 weeks a year) needs to make a minimum of $12.50 per hour plus benefits (or $13.75 an hour in lieu of benefits) to earn a Living Wage in Calgary. This figure is based on the Statistics Canada 2011 before-tax Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) amount for an individual with no dependants.
Being paid less than a Living Wage means earning less than $22,637 each year, before taxes. As of September 1, 2011, minimum wage in Alberta is $9.40 per hour or $17,108 annually, before taxes. (Annual figures are based on a 35 hour work week, 52 weeks per year).
Who isn`t receiving a Living Wage?
- More than 94,000 Calgarians over the age of 15 earn less than $12.50 per hour.
- Over half of those earning less than a Living Wage are 25 and older.
- 60% of those earning less than a Living Wage are women.
Why does everyone deserve a Living Wage?
- It’s the right thing to do: people who work should not live in poverty
- It’s only fair: hard work should be rewarded with adequate pay and benefits
- The various services and facilities in our city require all kinds of workers with all kinds of skill levels. All Calgarians working full-time, no matter what job they do, no matter what kind of work, no matter what level of skill, should be able to, at a very minimum, afford their basic needs.
A Living Wage is the amount of income an individual needs to:
- Meet basic needs: housing, transportation, food security.
- Maintain a safe, decent, dignified standard of living.
- Save for future needs and goals.
- Devote quality time to family, friends and community.
