But women still earn 64 cents for every dollar men earn, partly due to women working fewer hours
Women's income has been rising faster than men's income since the turn of the century, but men still earn 56 per cent more than women on average, according to Statistics Canada.
Between 2000 and 2008, the average total income for Canadian women increased by 13 per cent from $26,300 to $30,100, found Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report. During the same period, total income for men increased by seven per cent to $47,000.
While women's earnings grew faster, they still, on average, earn 64 cents for every dollar earned by men. One reason for the income gap is women are less likely than their male counterparts to work full time.
This gap narrows to about71 cents for women employed on a full-time, full-year basis. Since 1999, the female to male earnings ratio has fluctuated between 70 per cent and 72 per cent.
Part of the difference in earnings for women and men is related to hours worked: Even among full-time workers, women work fewer hours than their male counterparts.
Average annual earnings for both women and men rose with their level of education. However, the education premium was greater among women.
In 2008, women with less than a Grade 9 education earned $20,800 on average, compared with earnings of $62,800 for women with a university degree (three times more). In contrast, men who had less than Grade 9 education earned $40,400, compared with $91,800 for those with a university degree (2.27 times more).
While the earnings gap narrowed for those with higher levels of education, women working full year, full time with a university degree earned about 30 per cent less than men with a university degree.
As the education and income levels of women have increased, the incidence of dual-earner families in which the wife earned more than the husband has also grown. In 1976, about 12 per cent of wives in dual-earner families earned more than their husbands; by 2008, this share had more than doubled to 29 per cent.
Average total income was lower in families in which the wife earned more than the husband. The average total income for a family in which the wife earned more was $101,000, compared to $116,400 in dual-earner families in which the husband earned more.
The incidence of low income has fallen for both women and men over the last three decades. In 1976, almost 15 per cent of women and 11 per cent of men lived in low-income situations. By 2008, these proportions had declined to 10 per cent for women and nine per cent for men.
The largest declines during this period occurred among seniors aged 65 and older. While both male and female seniors experienced declines in low-income rates, the decline was much more pronounced for women. For example, in 1976, 34 per cent of women 65 and older were classified as living in low income. By 2008, this had decreased to just under eight per cent. For men 65 and older, the incidence fell from 23 per cent to four per cent.
