Half of Workers in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador Earn Below Living Wage, Report Finds
A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reveals that approximately half of workers in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador earn less than the living wage needed to cover basic expenses. Nova Scotia recorded the largest gap between its minimum wage and calculated living wage at nearly $12 per hour.
Approximately half of workers in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador earn less than what they need to cover basic expenses, according to a report released on Monday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The living wage calculations are based on a reference household consisting of two adults working full-time and two young children. The estimated average income needed to earn a living wage ranged from just over $24.00 an hour on P.E.I. to nearly $29.00 per hour in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia has the largest living wage gap among the three provinces, with its minimum wage sitting nearly $12 under what is needed to meet basic needs. Since 2021, Nova Scotia's minimum wage has increased by more than 30 per cent, rising from $12.95 to $17 an hour.
Rising costs for housing, transportation, gas, and food, along with changes in Statistics Canada's measurement methods, have contributed to increases in the living wage. The sharpest increase in the living wage rate was recorded in Nova Scotia's northern mainland, mainly due to rising rent costs. The cost of rent in Truro rose by 32 per cent in 2026.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the living wage in the Northern Peninsula and in Labrador surpassed that of Halifax for the first time, reaching $30.50 per hour. Demand at the Bridges to Hope food bank in downtown St. John's is up this year by 20 per cent over last year.
In response to the findings, Nova Scotia's Labour Department referenced recent minimum wage increases and various cost-reduction initiatives, including a $400 heating assistance rebate, a $100 million investment in school lunch programs, and a $1.7 billion investment in housing demand programs. Advocates called for further government investment in social housing and income support programs.