Canadian workers saw their earnings grow faster than inflation in April, according to newly released data from Statistics Canada.
The agency reported Thursday that the average weekly wage rose to $1,297, marking a 4.4% increase compared to April of the previous year. During the same period, inflation climbed by just 1.7%, meaning real wages grew for many workers. Compared to March, average weekly earnings were up by 0.8%.
Strong Gains in Real Estate, Information, and Finance
Some industries saw significantly larger wage increases than others. The information and cultural sector led the way, with average weekly earnings jumping more than 10% to $1,875. Real estate followed closely, with a 9.7% increase, bringing average weekly pay to $1,361 — roughly $120 more than a year earlier.
Meanwhile, workers in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction continued to earn the highest average weekly wages at $2,492 — a 5% increase from the previous year.
Job Vacancies Decline Across Key Sectors
Despite wage growth, job vacancies dropped sharply in several sectors. Health care and social assistance saw a 23.9% decrease in vacancies year-over-year, followed by accommodation and food services (-21.7%), and construction (-13.8%).
The decline was most pronounced in Newfoundland and Labrador (-26.3%), New Brunswick (-16.8%), Alberta (-9.4%), and British Columbia (-8.5%). Job vacancies remained relatively stable in the other six provinces.
