Living Wages Outpace Minimum Wages in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
Reports from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Human Development Council reveal widening gaps between living wages and minimum wages in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, driven largely by rising housing and transportation costs.
Recent reports released Monday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Human Development Council highlight significant gaps between living wages and minimum wages in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Housing and transportation costs are cited as primary contributors to the increases in both provinces.
In Nova Scotia, the average living wage increased by nearly four percent this year. About half of workers in the province earn less than the living wage. Halifax has the highest living wage rate in Nova Scotia at $30 an hour, up from $29.40 last year. Northern Nova Scotia saw the sharpest increase, jumping nearly 10 percent to $28 an hour due to rising rent costs. The province's actual minimum wage is $17 an hour, effective October 1.
In New Brunswick, the living wage is pegged at $24.84 an hour. The province's minimum wage is $15.90 an hour, creating a nearly $9 gap with the living wage. In 2025, 40 percent of workers in New Brunswick earned less than the living wage. Among those earning below the living wage, 88 percent were not students, 74 percent worked full-time, and 89 percent were over age 20. Fredericton has the highest living wage among major cities in New Brunswick at $26.32, largely due to rent prices.
Workers struggle to cover basic needs like housing and food when earning below the living wage. Rising rent costs significantly drive up living wage requirements. Provincial income support programs often phase out at the poverty line, excluding many living-wage households. Higher wages may boost local spending but could also raise business costs and consumer prices.
The findings involve contributions from Christine Saulnier, Melissa Marsman, Liam Fisher, Julia Woodhall-Melnik, and Chris Watson, representing organizations including the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour, the University of New Brunswick, and the New Brunswick Federation of Labour.