There is a leap in the proportion of minimum wage earners between 2005 and 2014. On average from 4% of the labor force to more than 11%. Commonly you may attribute this to the oil industry and auto industry, as seen on television. But there is a hidden recessionary epidemic alongside the healthcare for seniors. It is the rise of lyme disease which is similar to chronic fatigue syndrome.
The data below looks at proportion of minimum wage in two different ways for 2005 and 2015, but there is a great leap up in the proportion of the labor force earning minimum wage, however you organize the numbers.
It could be the restructuring of the auto industry as I’ve mentioned or “Canada’s shifting sands: Oil Production.” But why are employers in other sectors facing a labor shortage that is coinciding with a leap in minimum wage employment?
| 2005 | |
| Canada | 4.3 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 6.8 |
| Prince Edward Island | 5 |
| Nova Scotia | 5.2 |
| New Brunswick | 3.1 |
| Quebec | 4.6 |
| Ontario | 4.3 |
| Manitoba | 4.9 |
| Saskatchewan | 3.9 |
| Alberta | 1.5 |
| British Columbia | 5.6 |
| Minimum wage workers | 2015 Percentage distribution % |
| Student, aged 15 to 24 | 32.6 |
| Not a student, aged 15 to 24 | 25.3 |
| Student, aged 25 to 34 | 1.9 |
| Not a student, aged 25 to 34 | 10.9 |
| Aged 35 to 54 | 17.4 |
| Aged 55 to 64 | 8.3 |
| Aged 65 and over | 3.6 |
| Total | 100 |
Firstly, there is a back-log in the judicial system, so more people are awaiting trial and tied to the spot.
Secondly, the reported cases of Lyme Disease, which has symptoms like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, has also spiked.
