Calgary minimum wage workers need 126 hours on the job just to cover rent
A new report just revealed how many hours a minimum wage earner needs to work in Calgary just to afford rent, and it’s over 100.
Zoocasa analyzed rental data from Rentals.ca to calculate how many hours a minimum wage earner would need to work each month to cover the average one-bedroom rent in 60 major cities across Canada.
The report used standard full-time hours, which generally fall between 160 and 173 hours per month, based on a workweek of 37.5 to 40 hours.
Minimum wage earners in only eight of the 60 Canadian cities studied in the report could cover rent by working fewer than 100 hours. In 29 cities, workers would need to put in at least 120 hours, dedicating most of a standard working month to rent alone.
In Calgary, someone earning the province’s $15 hourly minimum wage would need to work about 126 hours to cover the average monthly rent of $1,886.
Zoocasa
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That means nearly 73 per cent of someone’s working hours would need to go towards rent, and that’s not including groceries, utilities, and every other cost that comes with being alive.
At $15 per hour, Alberta has the lowest minimum wage among the provinces studied.
Just north of Calgary, Airdrie required the most hours to make rent in Alberta. A minimum wage earner there would need to work about 136 hours to cover the city’s average rent of $2,027. In Edmonton, someone would need to work about 108 hours to cover the average monthly rent of $1,610.
Of the other Alberta cities listed, Medicine Hat and Lloydminster required the fewest hours. A minimum wage earner in those cities would need to put in about 92 and 88 hours, respectively, to cover the average rental prices.
On a national level, North Vancouver required the most work; a worker there would need to put in around 164 hours, about 95 per cent of a working month, to cover the average rent of $2,983.
Zoocasa
At $16 per hour, minimum wage earners in St. John’s, N.L. fared the best; however, they would still need to put in about 74 hours, about 43 per cent of a working month, to cover the average rent of $1,172.
You can view the full report on Zoocasa’s website.
With files from Allison Stephen