The living wage in Hamilton has exceeded $20 per hour for the first time.
The news comes as part of a 2023 report from the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN), which lays out the new living wage rates in major Ontario regions.
According to the report, $20.80 per hour is the new wage an individual must earn for a reasonable standard of living. It’s an increase of $1.75 per hour compared to the 2022 Hamilton living wage of $19.05.
Hamilton’s 2023 living wage is exceeded by Dufferin Waterloo Guelph-Wellington at $20.90, Ottawa at $21.95, Grey Bruce Perth Huron Simcoe at $22.75, and the Greater Toronto Area at $25.05.
A new study suggests that most people living in Ontario need to make at least $20 an hour to make a living wage. #economy https://t.co/8d3AwTIrYN
— Bonnie Barnes-Tracey (@bbt305) November 24, 2023
The OLWN calculates these regional living wages by collecting data for the costs of a basket of basic goods and services for three different household types: a single adult; a single adult with a child aged 7; and two adults with two children aged 3 and 7.
The resulting living wage rate is the before-tax amount that each adult would need to earn to cover the expenses of the basket for their family type, accounting for government transfers the family may receive.
Notably, these living wage amounts all well exceed Ontario’s current minimum wage, which sits at $16.55 per hour.
Read the full 2023 OWLN living wage report here.
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