$16.19 an hour. That is how much it is estimated both parents in a family of four need to earn working full-time in Saskatoon to make a living wage.
It represents a drop of three per cent from last year’s living wage of $16.66 an hour.
READ MORE: 4 Saskatoon employers pledge to pay employees a living wage
Officials with Living Wage YXE said the drop was due to changes in the Canada Child Benefit.
They said the expansion of the child benefit offset increases for food, shelter and clothing.
However, officials cautioned that the expansion of the child benefit doesn’t assist childless couples, those with children over the age of 18 or single people living in poverty.
This, they argued, highlights the need for employers to better understand their employee’s needs.
“If employees don’t earn enough, they can’t contribute as much to the business they work for and to the communities they live in,” Charles Plante, who authored the 2017 living wage recalculation, explained.
READ MORE: Saskatchewan’s minimum wage going up 22 cents in October
The report stated employees who earn a living wage are more productive and reliable, resulting in less staff turnover and better service for customers.
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