Average weekly earnings up 0.5 per cent in November: StatsCan • Canada's wealthiest 1 per cent account for 10 per cent of income: StatsCan • EI recipients decrease in November: StatsCan • EI recipients decrease in November: StatsCan • Insufficient or unfair pay top reason for turnover: Poll • One-half of Canadians use lump sum for RRSPs • Nova Scotia to increase minimum wage April 1
Average weekly earnings up 0.5 per cent in November: StatsCan
OTTAWA — Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees were $911 in November, up 0.5 per cent from October, according to Statistics Canada. On a year-over-year basis, earnings increased 3.2 per cent.
The 3.2 per cent increase reflects a number of factors, including wage growth, changes in composition of employment by industry, occupation and level of job experience, as well as average hours worked per week.
In November, non-farm payroll employees worked an average of 33.2 hours per week, up from 33.1 in October and 32.9 in November 2011.
Year-over-year growth in average weekly earnings outpaced the national average in five of the largest industrial sectors: construction; accommodation and food services; professional, scientific and technical services; public administration; and educational services.
Canada's wealthiest 1 per cent account for 10 per cent of income: StatsCan
OTTAWA — The top one per cent of Canada's 25.5 million tax filers accounted for 10.6 per cent of the nation's total income in 2010, according to Statistics Canada. This number is down from a peak of 12.1 per cent in 2006.
The top one per cent paid 21.2 per cent of all federal and provincial or territorial income taxes in 2010. In 1982, the top one per cent of filers paid 13.4 per cent of federal and provincial or territorial income taxes. This proportion rose steadily to a peak of 23.3 per cent in 2007, before slipping again in 2010. The share of income taxes paid by the rest of all tax filers fell from 86.6 per cent in 1982 to 78.8 per cent in 2010.
EI recipients decrease in November: StatsCan
OTTAWA — The number of people receiving regular employment insurance (EI) benefits edged down 4,500 or 0.8 per cent to 528,000 in November, according to Statistics Canada.
The number of beneficiaries decreased slightly in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. At the same time, there were slight increases in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador. Other provinces were virtually unchanged.
Nationally, the number of initial and renewal claims fell by 4,400 to 226,700 in November.
Provincially, the number of claims declined 6.7 per cent in Alberta, 4.1 per cent in Nova Scotia, 3.7 per cent in Saskatchewan and 3.1 per cent in Ontario. At the same time, the number of claims increased by 2.9 per cent in Manitoba and 1.4 per cent in Quebec.
Insufficient or unfair pay top reason for turnover: Poll
CALGARY — Insufficient pay or unfair pay practices is the top reason why employees choose to leave their employers, according to a survey by David Aplin Group.
When asked to recall a former employer whom they had chosen to leave of their own accord, the top five answers (in order) given by the more than 1,800 respondents were:
• insufficient pay or unfair pay practices
• lack of honesty/integrity/ethics
• lack of trust in senior leaders
• lack of work-life balance
• unhealthy/undesirable culture.
Though insufficient pay or unfair pay practices is listed as the top factor causing employees to think seriously about leaving their organization, 61 per cent of them also indicated they would trade financial or base compensation for extra vacation days or a shorter work week.
One-half of Canadians use lump sum for RRSPs
TORONTO — With the March 1 deadline for contributing to a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) fast approaching, many Canadians are stressed as they scramble to find the money to make a contribution, according to a BMO survey.
While three-quarters of Canadians with an RRSP have already made or plan to make a contribution to their RRSP before the deadline, 60 per cent admitted the deadline causes them stress.
This may be related to the fact that almost one-half (49 per cent) of the 1,000 survey respondents rely on making a lump-sum contribution to their RRSP at the end of each year, rather than investing smaller amounts on a regular basis throughout the year.
However, more than one-half (54 per cent) said they would feel less stressed if they switched their approach and made smaller contributions throughout the year.
Nova Scotia to increase minimum wage April 1
HALIFAX — The minimum wage in Nova Scotia will rise to $10.30 per hour on April 1. The increase is 1.5 per cent higher than the present rate of $10.15
The minimum wage for an inexperienced worker, with less than three months' experience in the work for which they were hired, will also rise from $9.65 to $9.80.
This is the fourth time since 2010 the province has increased the minimum wage.
