CBC汇总九份省级和地区报告，比较59个城市或地区，发现可取得数据的地方，法定最低工资均低于当地生活工资估算。生活工资是按基本住房、食品、交通和照护等开支测算的收入标准，并不是雇主依法必须支付的另一档工资。

例如曼省Brandon估算生活工资为每小时17.40元，省最低工资16.40元，差约1元；部分高成本城市的差距约12至14元。但研究方法不完全相同：Montreal以单人家庭为基础，安省、阿省和卑诗部分报告采用不同家庭结构加权，且城市与地区边界不同。报道没有当期Nunavut及西北地区数据，因此不能把结果当成全国统一排名。

生活工资通常假定成年人每周工作35小时，并计入政府转移及税项。大温报告的生活工资为每小时27.85元，并称约35%雇员低于该标准；兼职、工作时数不稳定者的实际压力可能更大。

受访研究者主张让工资及低收入支持更贴近生活成本；加拿大独立商业联合会则指出，利润和贸易压力限制中小企业加薪能力。政策建议尚不是新的全国工资规定。

来源：CBC News（原文标注：The Canadian Press） 原报道。大鱼新闻整理原创中文摘要；保留原刊发日期。

Volunteers at the Daily Bread Food Bank, in Toronto on Nov. 3. Canadian food bank usage hit record highs this year as new reports show that provincial minimum wages fall below the living wages coast to coast. (Alex Lupul/CBC)

Volunteers at the Daily Bread Food Bank, in Toronto on Nov. 3. Canadian food bank usage hit record highs this year as new reports show that provincial minimum wages fall below the living wages coast to coast. (Alex Lupul/CBC)

Shelves at the North York Harvest Food Bank in Toronto on Oct. 20. A new report from the Salvation Army says nearly one in three Canadians is skipping or reducing meals because they can't afford groceries. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Shelves at the North York Harvest Food Bank in Toronto on Oct. 20. A new report from the Salvation Army says nearly one in three Canadians is skipping or reducing meals because they can't afford groceries. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)