Nova Scotia minimum wage hike out of line with reality: Restaurant association • Minimum wage, flexibility among employment standards recommendations in British Columbia • Alberta releases action plan to keep people working longer • Canada’s tax and social security burden relatively low: OECD report • Increasing B.C.’s minimum wage will mean lost jobs: Report • Average weekly payroll earnings grew 4 per cent in a year: StatsCan
Nova Scotia minimum wage hike out of line with reality: Restaurant association
HALIFAX — The minimum wage increase to $10 an hour in Nova Scotia will hit small businesses hard across the province, said the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA). The increase is significantly higher than other economic indicators, according to the CRFA. The CRFA made recommendations to the government to create more opportunities in the province, including raising the basic personal tax exemption to be consistent with other provinces and introducing a tip differential to recognized extra income earned by liquor servers. The government should slow the scheduled minimum wage increases to match the marketplace, according to the CRFA.
Minimum wage, flexibility among employment standards recommendations in British Columbia
VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s Ministry of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government has released a report detailing themes that emerged from meetings with stakeholder groups on ways to update employment standards. More than 30 groups representing business, labour and other stakeholder areas met with the ministry between December 2010 and February 2011. The areas addressed in the report include: the role and purpose of minimum wage and how the minimum wage should be established and adjusted; flexibility in employment standards; clarifying and simplifying standards; improving the way information on standards is disseminated; improving enforcement activities; and ensuring that complaints are dealt with more quickly. The report is available on the ministry’s website at www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb/.
Alberta releases action plan to keep people working longer
EDMONTON — The Alberta government has released a plan to keep workers on the job longer. The government is concerned about labour shortages due to an aging workforce, lower birth rates and longer life expectancy. The plan recommends the government work with employers to provide more flexible work arrangements and pension plans allowing for phased retirement. There is no mention of specific legislation changes in the plan, but it also suggests employers be supported in the development of tools for succession planning and recruiting and retaining older workers. The plan is on the available online at www.employment.alberta.ca/documents/RRM/RRM-BI-mature-workers.pdf
Canada’s tax and social security burden relatively low: OECD report
PARIS — Canada has a relatively low tax and social security burden on labour income, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The average tax wedge, which is calculated by adding income taxes to employee and employer social security contributions and deducting cash transfers as a percentage of total labour costs, is lower than the OECD average for every family type, according to the organization’s Taxing Wages Report. The tax wedge in the report is calculated using average gross wage earnings of full-time employees in the private sector, including those in management positions.
Increasing B.C.’s minimum wage will mean lost jobs: Report
VANCOUVER — Increasing British Columbia’s minimum wage to $10.25 could result in the loss of up to 52,000 jobs in the province, according to a new study from the Fraser Institute. The study looked at research from Canada and internationally to measure the effects of raising minimum wage. It found raising minimum wage generally has a negative impact on employment especially for youth. Raising the minimum wage from $8 to $10.25, could result in the loss of 9,391 jobs to 52,194 jobs. Raising the minimum by 75 cent increments over the course of a year will do little to protect jobs, according to the Fraser Institute. Fewer benefits and less training for workers may also be outcomes of the increased minimum wage, the report said.
Average weekly payroll earnings grew 4 per cent in a year: StatsCan
OTTAWA — Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees rose by four per cent to $874.83 between February 2010 and February 2011 — higher than the increase for the same time period the year before, according to a report from Statistics Canada. Average weekly earnings grew 2.7 per cent between February 2009 and February 2010. Some of the recent increase is attributable to a 0.9 per-cent increase in the average number of hours worked per week. Other factors contributing to the increase in February 2011 were wage growth and changes in job growth composition by industry, occupation and level of job experience, said Statistics Canada.
HALIFAX — The minimum wage increase to $10 an hour in Nova Scotia will hit small businesses hard across the province, said the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA). The increase is significantly higher than other economic indicators, according to the CRFA. The CRFA made recommendations to the government to create more opportunities in the province, including raising the basic personal tax exemption to be consistent with other provinces and introducing a tip differential to recognized extra income earned by liquor servers. The government should slow the scheduled minimum wage increases to match the marketplace, according to the CRFA.
Minimum wage, flexibility among employment standards recommendations in British Columbia
VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s Ministry of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government has released a report detailing themes that emerged from meetings with stakeholder groups on ways to update employment standards. More than 30 groups representing business, labour and other stakeholder areas met with the ministry between December 2010 and February 2011. The areas addressed in the report include: the role and purpose of minimum wage and how the minimum wage should be established and adjusted; flexibility in employment standards; clarifying and simplifying standards; improving the way information on standards is disseminated; improving enforcement activities; and ensuring that complaints are dealt with more quickly. The report is available on the ministry’s website at www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb/.
Alberta releases action plan to keep people working longer
EDMONTON — The Alberta government has released a plan to keep workers on the job longer. The government is concerned about labour shortages due to an aging workforce, lower birth rates and longer life expectancy. The plan recommends the government work with employers to provide more flexible work arrangements and pension plans allowing for phased retirement. There is no mention of specific legislation changes in the plan, but it also suggests employers be supported in the development of tools for succession planning and recruiting and retaining older workers. The plan is on the available online at www.employment.alberta.ca/documents/RRM/RRM-BI-mature-workers.pdf
Canada’s tax and social security burden relatively low: OECD report
PARIS — Canada has a relatively low tax and social security burden on labour income, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The average tax wedge, which is calculated by adding income taxes to employee and employer social security contributions and deducting cash transfers as a percentage of total labour costs, is lower than the OECD average for every family type, according to the organization’s Taxing Wages Report. The tax wedge in the report is calculated using average gross wage earnings of full-time employees in the private sector, including those in management positions.
Increasing B.C.’s minimum wage will mean lost jobs: Report
VANCOUVER — Increasing British Columbia’s minimum wage to $10.25 could result in the loss of up to 52,000 jobs in the province, according to a new study from the Fraser Institute. The study looked at research from Canada and internationally to measure the effects of raising minimum wage. It found raising minimum wage generally has a negative impact on employment especially for youth. Raising the minimum wage from $8 to $10.25, could result in the loss of 9,391 jobs to 52,194 jobs. Raising the minimum by 75 cent increments over the course of a year will do little to protect jobs, according to the Fraser Institute. Fewer benefits and less training for workers may also be outcomes of the increased minimum wage, the report said.
Average weekly payroll earnings grew 4 per cent in a year: StatsCan
OTTAWA — Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees rose by four per cent to $874.83 between February 2010 and February 2011 — higher than the increase for the same time period the year before, according to a report from Statistics Canada. Average weekly earnings grew 2.7 per cent between February 2009 and February 2010. Some of the recent increase is attributable to a 0.9 per-cent increase in the average number of hours worked per week. Other factors contributing to the increase in February 2011 were wage growth and changes in job growth composition by industry, occupation and level of job experience, said Statistics Canada.
