November 15, 2022 at 11:14 am
The Perth-Huron United Way has updated the local living wage for the area.
November 14-18 is Living Wage Week, and United Way says Huron and Perth’s new living wage is $20.70 an hour, up from $17.95 last year.
“Based on a 35-hour workweek, the Perth-Huron living wage is calculated using local data and takes into account the weighted average cost of living for household types including families of four, single mothers with children aged seven. An adult, once government transfers and deductions are taken into account. Daily expenses in the calculation include food, housing, utilities, clothing, child care and transportation,” said a UWPH release.
For more information on the Perth-Huron living wage visit perthhuron.unitedway.ca.
“Community discussions around the concept of a living wage are more important than ever,” said Kristin Crane, director of social research and planning. “As we’ve seen, prices have risen across the board. That means workers need to make more money to keep up with economic pressures and thrive, not just survive. A living wage is a better reflection of the realities of community life than the minimum wage. For workers in our region, if they rely on a minimum-wage job, a person will be short of about $728 a month in terms of payments. That’s a huge disparity and why the living wage is so important.”
“We also understand the obstacles businesses face in the current environment,” Crane added. “It’s a struggle for many people, so the idea of paying employees more when you’re under such stressful circumstances may seem counterintuitive. But when we talk to certified organizations, we hear that life Wages help reduce turnover and improve recruitment and productivity, thanks to higher morale and less fatigue because workers don’t need to hold multiple jobs to make ends meet. So, on a very practical level, a living wage is improving the outlook for employers, even if it initially appears to be an elusive shift.”
“In the end, it’s another aspect of helping to ensure a brighter future for all members of our community,” added UWPH Executive Director Ryan Erb. “Poverty is a bigger problem that affects many others, from homelessness to mental health challenges to intimate partner violence. That’s why UWPH wants to put a living wage at the top of people’s minds. If we want a better, Fairer and more welcoming communities, the living wage is another tool in our toolbox to ensure it is fair and inclusive for all our community members as we continue to rebuild.”