Skip to content

Want a solid pay raise? Leave Ontari-ari-ari-o

NEWS RELEASE CONFERENCE BOARD OF CANADA ************************* The sun rises in the west when it comes to salary increases We have heard from natural resources firms that virtually all of them are having trouble finding the skilled workers they ne

NEWS RELEASE

CONFERENCE BOARD OF CANADA

*************************
The sun rises in the west when it comes to salary increases

We have heard from natural resources firms that virtually all of them are having trouble finding the skilled workers they need

OTTAWA (February 12, 2013) - Salary gains continue to be strong in Alberta and Saskatchewan at approximately four percent this year, compared to three percent nationally, according to The Conference Board of Canada's Mid-Year Pulse Check of its annual compensation planning outlook survey.

"Economic growth is uneven across the country. While employers are feeling the pinch in Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada, the oil and gas sector is pushing up wages in Alberta and Saskatchewan," said Ian Cullwick, vice-president, Leadership and Human Resources Research.

"Salaries in oil and gas this year are rising slightly faster than we projected, and labour markets in western Canada are tightening. We have heard from natural resources firms that virtually all of them are having trouble finding the skilled workers they need."

Highlights

• Across Canada, non-union salary increases in 2013 are projected to average three percent

* The oil and gas sector continues to project the highest average salary increases, at 4.5 percent, up from 4.2 percent last fall

• For unionized employees, average wage increases closed the year at 1.9 percent, down slightly from the 2.1 percent projected last fall.

• Salary growth projections have been revised upwards in Saskatchewan (four percent) and Alberta (3.9 percent).

• The projections for Quebec (2.7 percent), Ontario (2.5 percent), and British Columbia (2.5 percent) have been revised downward, and remain below the national average of three percent.

View video commentary by Allison Cowan, Senior Research, Compensation and Industrial Relations.

The Conference Board conducted its Compensation Planning Outlook 2013 Mid-Year Pulse Check survey in December 2012.

A total of 237 organizations replied, representing a response rate of 59 percent of the 401 organizations that completed the Compensation Planning Outlook survey in the summer of 2012.

While most industry salary projections have changed little since last year, more than half of the companies in the food, beverage, and tobacco industries reported revising salary increases down in recent months.

As a result, the expected increase across these industries has fallen from 2.9 percent to 2.3 percent.

More than two-thirds of respondents said economic conditions in 2013 will be comparable to those of 2012.

A quarter think business conditions are likely to improve, while only seven per cent believe that conditions will deteriorate in 2013.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••


What's next?


If you would like to apply to become a Verified reader Verified Commenter, please fill out this form.