CBC彙總九份省級和地區報告，比較59個城市或地區，發現可取得數據的地方，法定最低工資均低於當地生活工資估算。生活工資是按基本住房、食品、交通和照護等開支測算的收入標準，並不是僱主依法必須支付的另一檔工資。

例如曼省Brandon估算生活工資爲每小時17.40元，省最低工資16.40元，差約1元；部分高成本城市的差距約12至14元。但研究方法不完全相同：Montreal以單人家庭爲基礎，安省、阿省和卑詩部分報告採用不同家庭結構加權，且城市與地區邊界不同。報道沒有當期Nunavut及西北地區數據，因此不能把結果當成全國統一排名。

生活工資通常假定成年人每週工作35小時，並計入政府轉移及稅項。大溫報告的生活工資爲每小時27.85元，並稱約35%僱員低於該標準；兼職、工作時數不穩定者的實際壓力可能更大。

受訪研究者主張讓工資及低收入支持更貼近生活成本；加拿大獨立商業聯合會則指出，利潤和貿易壓力限制中小企業加薪能力。政策建議尚不是新的全國工資規定。

來源：CBC News（原文標註：The Canadian Press） 原報道。大魚新聞整理原創中文摘要；保留原刊發日期。

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)