The living wage for Huron-Perth is now 39 per cent higher than the province’s minimum wage.
The United Way Perth-Huron (UWPH) and the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN) announced the baseline wage to make ends meet in the two counties is now $24.60 an hour, up from $23.05 last year.
That is $7.00 an hour higher than Ontario’s minimum wage of $17.60.
The calculations for the living wage gather expenses for three types of households: two adults supporting two small children; a single parent with one child; and a single adult.
Results are aggregated and include any applicable government taxes, transfers, and benefits.
“If a person has a full-time job paying minimum wage, even with October’s increase workers would be left $245 short every week,” says United Way Executive Director Ryan Erb.
“That’s an impossible situation. If nobody can afford to live here, how will our communities sustain themselves? We owe it to ourselves to ensure the places we live can thrive, not just survive. A living wage is part of that.”