B.C. employees can anticipate the lowest wage increases in the country this year, according to a Conference Board of Canada report issued this morning.
The conference board’s Mid-Year Pulse Check report projected that B.C. salaries will edge up just 2.5% this year, trailing national average gains of 3.0%.
In comparison, the report found that Alberta and Saskatchewan will see strong salary gains this year, at 3.9% and 4.0%, respectively.
Joining B.C. at the bottom of the pack are Ontario (2.5%) and Quebec (2.7%).
“Economic growth is uneven across the country,” said Ian Cullwick, the conference board’s vice-president, leadership and human resources research. “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.”
The report projected 4.5% wage increases in Canada’s oil and gas sector, up from 4.2% last fall. The conference board attributed those accelerating gains to tight labour markets in the sector.
“We have heard from natural resources firms that virtually all of them are having troubl finding the skilled workers that they need,” said Cullwick.
The conference board’s report is based on responses from 237 organizations, that were surveyed in December 2012.
According to survey findings, more than two-thirds of respondents said economic conditions this year will be comparable to 2012. The survey found that a quarter of respondents expect business conditions to improve this year, while 7% expect that conditions will deteriorate.
