In Canada and around the world, Equal Pay Day is a special day that shows when women’s earnings finally catch up to men’s earnings. In 2023, women in Canada earned only 78% of what men earned on average. This means that, on average, women would have to work until April 9, 2024, just to earn the same amount that men earned in 2023.
Equal Pay Day in Canada
Equal Pay Day in Canada is now 23 days earlier than it was 10 years ago. But, different parts of Canada see this day at different times. For example, in Prince Edward Island, Equal Pay Day happens as early as February 13, while in Alberta, it happens much later, on June 2.
For some jobs, like those in health and sciences, Equal Pay Day happens in February. To really understand why there’s a pay difference, we should look at other things like race, ethnicity, and whether someone has a disability.
Why Equal Pay Day Matters
Equal Pay Day reminds us that the pay gap between men and women is still a big problem. The United Nations has a special day called International Equal Pay Day on September 18. This day is meant to help everyone understand how important it is for women and men to get paid the same for doing the same work. It’s also part of the United Nations’ goals to make sure everyone has a good job and that men and women are treated equally.
Even though we’ve made progress, there’s still a long way to go. For example, in 2023, women in Canada earned 78 cents for every dollar men earned. Women’s earnings were about 22% less than men’s. On average, women would need to work 101 extra days just to earn the same as men.
How to Calculate Equal Pay Day
It’s pretty simple to figure out Equal Pay Day if you have the right numbers. All you need is the average yearly pay for men and women. The numbers used here come from Canada’s Labour Force Survey.
In 2023, women earned about $56,155 a year, while men earned about $71,724 a year. This means women earned about $15,568 less than men. To find out how many extra days women need to work to catch up, you divide the difference by the average weekly earnings for women. In this case, it’s 101 extra days.
What Causes the Gender Pay Gap?
Equal Pay Day in Canada has moved up by 23 days in the last 10 years, from May 3 in 2014 to April 9 in 2024. Many reasons have helped close the gap, like more women getting university degrees and entering higher-paying jobs. More women are also working full-time and staying in their jobs longer.
Still, even when we consider things like education and experience, there’s still a part of the pay gap that we can’t explain.
Does Where You Live Affect Pay Equality?
We’ve talked about Equal Pay Day for all of Canada, but it’s different in each province. Some places have seen big changes, while others haven’t changed much at all.
For example, in 2014, the biggest pay gap was in Newfoundland and Labrador, where Equal Pay Day was on July 4. By 2024, things had gotten better, and Equal Pay Day moved up to May 22. But Alberta only saw a small change, with Equal Pay Day moving up just 12 days, from June 15 to June 2.
Prince Edward Island has the smallest pay gap, with Equal Pay Day happening as early as February 13.
Does Your Job Affect How Much You Earn?
How much you earn can depend on the job you have. Women make up nearly 60% of workers in low-paying jobs. These jobs also had the most job losses in 2020. Some people think women earn less because they work in low-paying jobs. But even in higher-paying jobs, there are still differences in what men and women earn. This shows that the pay gap isn’t just about the kinds of jobs women choose.
Equal Pay Day is an important reminder that we still have work to do to close the pay gap between men and women. By understanding the reasons behind this gap and working to fix them, we can help make sure everyone gets paid fairly for the work they do.
