Statistics Canada reports that in 2022, on average, women aged 15 and up made 84 cents for every dollar men made.
The gender wage gap is nothing new. It affects women across all sectors and professional levels and happens all around the globe. Still, we’ve made progress in closing the gap in the last couple of decades. In 1998, women aged 25-54 made 18.8 per cent less than men compared to 11.1 per cent in 2021.
Despite making strides, we still have a long way to go to attain wage parity, especially in Alberta. In 2023, Alberta was among the poorest performing provinces regarding the wage gap: women made 81 cents on a man’s dollar, compared to provinces like PEI, which has exceeded parity by one cent.
The discrepancy starts young
A 2018 Girl Guides Report showed that girls aged 12-18 earned about $3.00 per hour less than boys during full-time summer jobs, and the gap widened to $6.31 per hour in informal settings, like working for family, friends and neighbours. Faced with the wage gap right from the get-go, women typically slowly accrue more financial challenges than men as time goes on, like taking longer to pay off student debt.
Impact and solutions
The pay gap is a disadvantage to more than just women; it’s costing the economy at large. In a 2016 report prepared by Deloitte for the Ontario Ministry of Labour, it’s estimated that the gender wage gap contributed to $18 billion in yearly household income losses in Ontario alone. But, if we closed the gap and families’ income increased with equal pay between genders, Deloitte estimates that government spending on social assistance, tax credits and child benefits could decrease by $103 million.
The increase in women’s wages in recent years is largely due to more representation across occupations and an increase in education. The Pay Equity Act — which looks to achieve pay equity by correcting gender-based discrimination — came into play in 2021. Now, we must collectively champion more representation of women across all sectors, uplift and empower young girls and continue to give women opportunities to advance professionally.
Keep up with how we continue to champion gender equity in the workplace and become an Axis member today.