The living wage reflects what people need to earn
to cover the actual costs of living in their
community while working full time (35 hours/week).
It includes the cost of basic needs, like food,
clothing, and shelter, as well as child care, small
investments in education, participating in the
community, and unexpected costs.
While the legislated minimum wage is the same
across the province, the living wage rate is specific
to each community because it costs more to live in
some communities than others.
Each member of the Alberta Living Wage Network (ALWN) uses
community-specific data to complete a calculation
for their community under the guidance of ALWN’s
Economist.
