|
Census: Halifax families have more in wallets than five years ago
From the Herald:
Census: Halifax families have more in wallets than five years ago
By The Canadian Press
Thu. May 1 - 11:05 AM
OTTAWA — The latest census data suggests the average family in the Halifax region has more in its wallets than it did the last time Statistics Canada asked people about how much money they make.
New information from the 2006 census released Thursday indicates the median income for families in and around Halifax was $68,625, an increase from the 2001 census, when it was $64,164 when adjusted for inflation.
The 7.0 per cent increase compares with a national increase in income of 3.7 per cent and a provincial increase of 6.1 per cent.
Individuals in the metropolitan Halifax area had a median income of $27,193. Five years earlier, the median income was $25,793.
The census data also indicates the gender wage gap has not changed significantly. Men in the Halifax region typically earned $47,161 compared with $35,151 for women, meaning women made on average only 75 per cent of what men earned. Five years earlier, the gap was 74 per cent in favour of men.
People aged 25 to 34, generally the age range when younger people are getting established in the workforce, had a median income of $26,969. Senior citizens in and around Halifax had a median income of $23,809.
Statistics Canada also looked at how people in the lowest and highest earnings brackets fared over the five-year period.
The median earnings for lower-income workers, those in the bottom 20 per cent of earners in the region, decreased by 6.8 per cent to $15,610. Those at the high end, in the top 20 per cent, saw their income increase by 5.2 per cent to $81,817.
Statistics Canada does not have a standard definition for the term "poverty line." Instead, it uses a formula that looks at families who need to spend a high proportion of their income on basic necessities like food, shelter and clothing. In the Halifax region, Statistics Canada says 10.0 per cent of families fell into this low-income category.
Not surprisingly, the level of education has a direct impact on earnings. Among people in the Halifax area with a university education, the median wage was $55,717; those with college degrees made $39,400; trade or apprentice school grads made $39,023; people with only a high school diploma made $34,750 and those with no secondary school diploma made $28,933.
Immigrants living in the Halifax region typically had a median wage of 14.6 per cent more than the median wage of all those in Halifax. Across the country, the census shows that immigrants made less on the job than the average Canadian, $39,523 compared with a national median wage of $41,401.
The earnings information released by Statistics Canada is for what's known as the census metropolitan area of Halifax, which represents the city's core boundary as well as outlying suburban areas.
The data is based on information gathered in the 2006 census where respondents were asked for their total income during 2005. Income can include earnings from a job, investments and government programs.
While Statistics Canada regularly reports on economic factors at the national and provincial level, the census is the only vehicle that provides a detailed look at income and earnings at the community level.
The data published Thursday is the final release of material from the 2006 census. Previously, Statistics Canada revealed information about the population of Halifax in a wide range of areas, including age and sex breakdowns, education, immigration and language. The next census is scheduled to be conducted in May 2011.
|
but less than 10 years ago 
Linear Mode
