Common Questions

  • A living wage reflects what earners in a family need to bring home based on the actual costs of living in a specific community. Living wages are rooted in the belief that individuals and families should not just survive, but be able to live in dignity, and participate in their community. The living wage is defined as the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and participate in the community. 

  • The minimum wage is the legislated minimum set by the provincial government. Thousands of families making the current minimum wage in Alberta are still living below the poverty line and are unable to lift themselves out of poverty. A living wage calls on governments, employers, and community members to ensure that workers can make ends meet in their communities and that parents can earn what they need to support their families.

    Some key differences:

    The minimum wage is the same across the province. Living wage reflects what people need to earn to cover the actual costs of living in their community.

    The minimum wage is mandatory for many occupations. The living wage is a voluntary commitment of employers to go beyond the minimum standard and pay enough for employees to cover their expenses and participate in community.

    For years the minimum wage has been too low to lift even someone working full-time above the poverty line. The living wage is based on the principle that if you work full-time for a full year, you should earn enough to make ends meet and participate in your community.

  • Alberta’s general minimum wage was last changed on October 1, 2018, when it increased from $13.60/hour to $15.00/hour. On June 26, 2019, the Alberta government introduced a separate $13.00/hour minimum wage for students under 18. While Alberta’s general minimum wage has remained frozen at $15.00, other provinces have continued to raise theirs. BC’s minimum wage is currently $17.85/hour and will increase to $18.25/hour on June 1, 2026, while Ontario’s minimum wage is currently $17.60/hour. Alberta remains an outlier as one of the only provinces not to have increased its general minimum wage since 2018.

    Discover what the minimum wages across Canada are here.

  • Studies show that businesses usually absorb cost increases related to living wage policies through a combination of price and productivity increases, reduced turnover and redistribution of staff. When B.C. raised its minimum wage more than $2 per hour in a relatively short amount of time, there was a very small (1.6%) reduction in the employment rate for youth between the ages of 15 and 24 and we can’t be sure that this 1.6% reduction was entirely due to the change in minimum wage or if there were other factors.

    There are a lot of examples around the world of cities raising wages in a meaningful way, including Vancouver, Seattle and London in the UK. In these jurisdictions, increases in wages for the lowest paid in society actually resulted in increased spending power and reduced inequality.

WHAT IS A LIVING WAGE?

  • We announce the living wage during Living Wage Week, which takes place in November.

  • The minimum wage set by the provincial government is typically lower than the living wage.

    $15.00 per hour

    $13.00 per hour for workers under the age of 18

  • The living wage is based on the income needs of the following three household types: 

    • a two-parent family with two young children,  

    • a lone parent family with one young child,  

    • a single individual living alone.  

    It is a weighted average based on how many of each household type there are in Alberta. It considers the hourly rate of pay needed for a household to maintain a modest standard of living once government transfers have been added to the family’s income and taxes have been subtracted. The methodology assumes that each adult is working full-time hours and includes more than the basics of food, clothing, and shelter. The calculator also takes into account unexpected costs, small investments in education, child care, and participating in the community. For more details, see How Living Wages are Calculated. 

  • The intention of releasing new living wages is not to add further stress to small businesses.  

    More than 60% of people living in low income have a job. Prior to COVID-19, 50-70 percent of Canadians living in poverty were employed, often holding multiple jobs and. Research from End Poverty Edmonton shows that a significant share of people experiencing poverty in Edmonton are employed, highlighting the growing issue of working poverty in Alberta’s largest city. Recent Food Banks Canada data shows that food bank use in Canada has reached record levels, with many clients relying on food banks despite being employed. This clearly demonstrates that wages in some industries are not in line with the local cost of living. Calculating and publishing the living wage helps inform businesses as well as policymakers at the local level. 

    Businesses may also see an opportunity with paying a living wage. Increased wages enable workers to spend in their communities, and this supports the local economy. 

  • The intention of releasing living wages is not to add further stress to companies, but to shed some light on what it actually costs to live in Alberta. Calculating and publishing living wages helps inform businesses as well as policymakers about local affordability measures and how they compare to other cities and provinces. Equipped with this information, businesses can advocate for measures like utility rate caps, insurance premium caps as well as action on affordable housing and food.  

CERTIFICATION

  • To begin the certification process, first fill out the Living Wage Employer Application Form. If all staff aren’t currently paid a living wage, employers must provide a Living Wage Implementation Plan as part of their application.

    Once the application is reviewed and we have confirmed that conditions are being met for becoming a Living Wage Employer, both the employer and Alberta Living Wage Network will sign the Memorandum of Agreement. An annual employer fee will be paid at the date of recognition and will be due each subsequent year on that anniversary.

    The Memorandum of Agreement is a legal document that outlines the obligations and responsibilities the Alberta Living Wage Network has to the Living Wage Employer, and what those employers agree to do in order to maintain recognition.

  • The cost varies by size and sector, starting at $75/year for the non-profit and $150 for the private sector with fewer than 10 employees. For full details of the cost please refer to the table here.

  • There are several reasons that employers pay living wages across the province and in Canada, these include happier workers, less turnover, and fewer missed work days. Many also consistently report that they feel it’s the right thing to do.

    Research has found that living wage employers also cut costs when it comes to hiring and training new employees. A Harvard Business Review article compared the turnover rate at Costco (paid a living wage) and Walmart’s Sam’s Club (didn’t pay a living wage), where the turnover rates were 17% and 44% respectively. The cost of replacing a worker was 1.5 to 2.5 times the worker’s salary, meaning Sam’s Club would see an annual cost of $612 million compared to Costco’s $244 million.

    There are many businesses and organizations that see the value of paying a living wage. Many of them are vocal advocates for paying a living wage and the value of decent work as well. The Alberta Living Wage Network certifies employers representing a variety of sectors including retail, finance, manufacturing, tourism, health care and media.

  • It will vary according to the size of your organization and the types of contracts you have. Some employers can complete their application form straight away and we will aim to process their certification as quickly as possible. Larger companies may take up to 6 months to become certified.  

  • Alberta Living Wage Network does not carry out audits of certified employers as the certification is a signed agreement of their commitment to the Living Wage.

    If an employer is found to have not fulfilled the criteria within their living wage declaration, the Coordinator will work with the employer to determine a path towards compliance with their declaration, and, if necessary, review the status of the employer.

    If an employee believes their employer is not paying a living wage, they are encouraged to get in touch with the Coordinator through the Employer Reporting Form. This communication is confidential.

WHO IS THE LIVING WAGE FOR?

  • A certified Living Wage Employer must pay all active full-time, part-time and contract employees a living wage for their area. Employers also must insert a living wage clause in all new contracts with external service providers.

  • Employers may offset the living wage rate by providing benefits that affect basic needs, such as health care plans. Paid days off above the legislated minimum are also credited toward their effective pay.

  • Employers are allowed to have a small number of trainees, students in practicum or co-op placements, or interns that are paid below the living wage, as long as they don’t represent a core part of the total staff makeup (no more than 10% for most employers; in the case of small not- for-profits where the total staff complement is five workers, no more than 20%). Staff that are on probation are not counted as part of the living wage determination process but once their probation period is over, they must receive a living wage.

    Notwithstanding the 10% exemption for trainees, interns, co-op, and practicum positions, living wage employers are encouraged to pay a living wage, or close to the living wage, to these employees as they are able.

  • It’s important to note that most people that earn below a living wage are not kids living at home. Approximately 45% have children and 59% are over the age of 25, according to the most recent StatsCan Labour Force Survey –  September 2020 to August 2021. 

OTHER COMMON QUESTIONS

  • Each person’s living situation is unique, and the living wage rate isn’t meant to be an exact representation of each individual’s circumstances.

    The living wage is an indicator for community affordability and livability based on the best data available for each community. Previous calculations were based on the Canadian Living Wage Framework, which specifies using a family of four in the calculations. We’ve expanded this to include lone parent and single individual households to reflect multiple situations where people may have access to different government benefits and taxes and would be affected differently by policy changes (e.g., improving child care affordability will affect each household type differently).

    Also, calculating and publishing different numbers for different family types could be confusing and could create conditions where employers are asking employees about family situations for different wage structures.

    We use a weighted average because wages should not be based on family composition or lifestyle, so we are combining the numbers into just one rate per community that employers need to pay to be eligible for living wage certification.

  • This 2017 Bank of Canada staff analytical note looked at what would happen if provinces went ahead with their scheduled minimum wage increases (e.g., Alberta was scheduled to increase minimum wage from $12.20 to $13.50 in October 2017 and then to $15 in October 2018). .

  • Costs rise all the time without workers receiving a pay increase. Living wage policies cover only a small percentage of the labour force. When Seattle committed to raise their minimum wage to $15 per hour, researchers started studying consumer prices for goods. They found that the increase in minimum wage had no impact on the prices of goods and that costs went up by the same amount in Seattle as they did in surrounding communities that didn’t see a raise to their minimum wage. Check out the University of Washington Minimum Wage Study for more information.

  • In 2024, both the Provincial and Federal government created temporary affordability payments. For the Living Wage Network to truly reflect actual costs, we need to factor in everything that came into play during the year, including these temporary payments. Costs went up across the board, but for many household types, such as a family of four and lone parent households, both temporary and permanent benefits also increased.