Average weekly earnings of payroll employees were $828.14 in August, up 2.0% from August 2008. This was up from the 1.6% growth observed between July 2008 and July 2009, but lower than the most recent year-over-year peak of 3.0% in October 2008.

Among Canada’s six largest industrial sectors, between August 2008 and August 2009, average weekly earnings increased in public administration (+5.5%), educational services (+4.9%), health care & social assistance (+3.2%), and accommodation & food services (+0.2%).

Over the same period, average weekly earnings fell in manufacturing (-2.4%) and retail trade (-1.5%).

Prince Edward Island saw the fastest increase in average weekly earnings between August 2008 and August 2009, up 4.2%, followed by Newfoundland & Labrador (+3.9%) and Quebec (+3.8%). Ontario (+1.6%) and Saskatchewan (+1.3%) had growth below the national average. British Columbia (-0.1%) was the only province to post a decline in average weekly earnings over the period.

Canadian Average Weekly Earnings By Province
August 2009

Canadian Average Weekly Earnings By Industry
August 2009

Data from Statistics Canada

31 Oct 2009