Did you know that the living wage in our area is set at a jaw dropping $20.70/hour?
That’s according to a study from the Ontario Living Wage Network, and Kristin Crane, Director of Social Research and Planning with United Way Perth-Huron says that the figure covers a variety of factors,
She also says that the calculation is really a bare minimum, not factoring in things like debt payments, saving for retirement, or putting a down payment on a home.
Although there’s a perception that rural communities are more affordable, in our case, Crane says that simply isn’t true,
Although the figure of $20.70 was released in November, Crane says that by the time it comes out, it’s already a minimum of 6 months out of date due to the nature of data gathering. With the inflated economy changing that figure day by day, there’s a good chance that the $20.70 figure is in actuality higher already.
A driving force to that inflated figure in rural communities is the cost of transportation, says Crane,
Additional factors include high rental prices, the rising cost of food, and high cost of communications utilities like internet and cellphones.
The high living wage in the area has also put additional strains on the workforce, with more employers competing for fewer labourers following the retirement of the large segment of the population known as “baby boomers”. Crane says that employers may have out of date expectations when it comes to replacing that labour,
Crane also says that the increasing gap between compensation and living expenses is increasing food insecurity among at risk households, with 63% of 700 food insecure households surveyed by United Way Perth-Huron also maintaining full time employment.
Written by: B. Shakyaver
