Movin' on up! Saultbies making way more money!

NEWS RELEASE

TONY MARTIN, MP

************************* Sault Ste. Marie average income increase double national average

OTTAWA – The average family in Sault Ste. Marie has increased its median income over seven per cent in five years, double the national average and five times the Ontario average.

“This is recognition of the good economic times we have seen in the community,” Sault MP Tony Martin said. “Algoma Steel, St Marys, Flakeboard, the OLGC, some trades, all are performing well.”

New information from the 2006 census released Thursday indicates the median income for families in Sault Ste. Marie was $64,938 - an increase from the 2001 census, when it was $60,508 when adjusted for inflation.

The 7.3 per cent increase compares with a national increase in income of 3.7 per cent and a provincial increase of 1.4 per cent.

Individuals in Sault Ste. Marie had a median income of $25,545.

Five years earlier, the median income was $22,919.

“The good news for some is not good news for all,” Martin added. “We see that the median earnings for lower income workers, those in the bottom 20 per cent, increased by 5.3 per cent to $16,572 but those at the high end in the top 20 per cent went up by 14.7 per cent to $84,182."

“This speaks to the widening income gap that as the economy turns bad and housing prices increase means people will be worse off.”

Statistics Canada also reported the gender wage gap is five per cent ess between men and women, with men earning $53,328 on average compared with $36,406.

There are 10.3 per cent of families in the low-income category.

“Both the gender income gap and the number of poor are still unacceptable. We need in our economic strategy to leave no one behind,” Martin said.

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