Nova Scotia’s minimum wage falls $11 short of a living wage: report 

A report produced by the Atlantic branch of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) says Halifax’s living wage should be $30 per hour, nearly double the $17 per hour that minimum wage workers in this province earn.  

“The (living wage) benchmark puts a spotlight on exactly how many workers are struggling,” said Christine Saulnier, director of CCPA Nova Scotia and a co-author of the report. “You’re seeing increased costs and you’re not seeing increased support from government.” 

Living wage figures represent what it would take for a family of two full-time workers with two children to cover what the CCPA considers a household budget of basic expenses, like housing, food, transportation and child care. 

“It’s a very conservative estimate of what you need,” said Saulnier. “There is no luxury in this budget. In fact, there is no debt in this budget. And I don’t know any household that has no debt, including student loan debt.” 

Miriam Williams, who was recently laid off from a job in animation, has experienced the kind of life a $30 per hour wage can provide. She is still unemployed, but volunteers as an organizer for Nova Scotia ACORN, a group that advocates for low-income people.

“When I was actively working with a studio in town here, I was making about that much. And it wasn’t anywhere near enough for me to even consider buying a house,” she said. “It was enough for me to comfortably afford my apartment with a partner who was also working full time. We had reliable groceries and bills were not an issue.” 

The report estimates the living wage for five regions in Nova Scotia, where the cost of living varies. Halifax’s is the highest, while Cape Breton’s is the lowest at $25.70 per hour, though this is still $8.70 above the provincial minimum wage.  

Saulnier acknowledges that the Houston government indexes the minimum wage to inflation plus one per cent but said it needs to consider the actual costs of living when determining the base amount.

“One per cent when the minimum itself is so much lower than what is required to just cover your costs is a problem,” she said. 

“I haven’t seen any indication that (our living wage calculation) is in any deliberations that happen at the committee level, unlike in some of the other provinces where we calculate the living wage,” said Saulnier.  

In an email response to the Signal, Greg Hanna, director of communications for the Department of Labour, Skills, and Immigration, said the province’s minimum wage review committee considers a range of economic factors, including cost of living, the circumstances of lower-paid workers and the impact of minimum wage changes on businesses.

“Department staff support that work with economic and labour market analysis and provide additional information requested by committee members,” wrote Hanna.

While just over six per cent of Nova Scotia workers earn minimum wage, the report shows that half earn less than what the CCPA considers the provincial living wage of $28.63 per hour. 

Fabrice Bash, a mechanic living in Halifax, is one of those workers. Bash, who doesn’t have children, earns $25 per hour and says it isn’t enough to meet his basic needs. “All my money goes to gas and food and rent. I mean rent is expensive, right?”   

Williams thinks people continue to be blamed for their financial struggles, when low wages and high costs stack the deck against them.

“There are people I know who work four jobs and don’t have much time for socialization outside of that, and they still get accused of being lazy, or why don’t you find a better job, why don’t you go after a promotion?” she said.  

She thinks earning a living wage would change people’s lives.

“The biggest thing that comes to mind, if I imagine a livable wage, is just enough money that I don’t need to constantly be thinking about how this will affect half a dozen other bills,” said Williams.

“That constant mental toll, right? It’s an entire background radiation of mental math every day.” 

Hanna said the minimum wage review committee expects to finish its next report in the coming months. He said government will make the report public within 30 days of receiving it and will consider its recommendations when determining the minimum wage for 2027.