Revenue,spending& publicsectorwages

February2013

Whenitcomestotaxesandroyalties,wageforpublicsectorworkersandlevelsofspendingonpublic services,weveheardalotofmisinformation,someobfuscationandevenoutrightlies. Itstimetosettherecordstraight. Albertaisinthemiddleofthepackwhenitcomestopublicspendingperperson.Thesameistrueforpublic revenuegeneratedbytaxesandroyalties. Eventhoughoureconomyisrunningredhotandwehaveanabundanceofvaluableresources,provinceslike SaskatchewanandManitobacollectmorepublicrevenueperpersonthanwedo. Sure,wagesforgovernmentworkers,doctorsandnursesarehigh,butwagesarehighforeveryoneherein Albertacomparedtootherprovinces.Infact,theaveragehourlywageisabout$3.50higherinAlbertathan intherestofCanada. Andwhenitcomestogovernmentspendingasashareoftheoveralleconomy,werankdeadlast.Toputit anotherway,despitethemythofoverspending,nootherprovincespendslessonpublicservicesasashareof itseconomythanAlberta. InaprovinceasstrongandeconomicallyvibrantasAlberta,whydowekeeprunningoutofmoneyforvital publicserviceslikeeducationandhealthcare?Thefactsareclear:Itsbecausewehavearevenueproblem, notaspendingproblem.Andtheonlysolutionisrevenuereform.

Albertaseconomyisredhot
Albertaranks1st(averagedover2012) Populationgrowth Unemploymentrate Retailsalesgrowth RealGDPgrowth Employmentgrowth
(Source:GovernmentofAlberta)

Alberta 2.5% 4.7% 8.9% 5.1% 2.8%

Canada 1.1% 7.3% 3.1% 2.6% 1.0%

Revenue,spending&publicsectorwages

AlbertaFederationofLabour 10654101Street,Edmonton,AlbertaT5H2S1 Telephone:7804833021;Tollfree:18006613995 http://www.afl.org

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Revenue,spending& publicsectorwages

February2013
Revenue percapita $12,029 $10,932 $10,600 $10,455

Percapitaspendingandrevenue
Province Newfoundlandand Labrador Manitoba PEI NewBrunswick Spending percapita $12,858 $11,384 $10,848 $10,842 Rank 1 2 3 4 Province Newfoundlandand Labrador Manitoba NewBrunswick Saskatchewan Rank 1 2 3 4

Alberta
Saskatchewan NovaScotia BC Ontario Quebec

$10,623
$10,367 $10,078 $9,490 $9,359 $8,800

5
6 7 8 9 10

Alberta
PEI NovaScotia BC Ontario Quebec

$10,394
$10,336 $9,772 $9,324 $8,307 $8,137

5
6 7 8 9 10

(Sources:GovernmentBudgetEstimates,StatisticsCanadaCANSIMtable0510001forpopulation)

Spendingasapercentageofthesizeofoureconomy

(Sources:2012BudgetEstimates,2012GDPforecastsfromRoyalBankofCanada)

Revenue,spending&publicsectorwages

AlbertaFederationofLabour 10654101Street,Edmonton,AlbertaT5H2S1 Telephone:7804833021;Tollfree:18006613995 http://www.afl.org

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Revenue,spending& publicsectorwages

February2013
Ontariowages $25.59/hour Difference $2.50morein Alberta $9.12morein Alberta $2.88morein Alberta $0.85morein Alberta

Albertawagescomparedtootherprovinces(averagehourlywage)
Occupation Constructiontrades Albertawage $28.09/hour

Seniormanagers

$58.95/hour

$49.83/hour

Labourers

$19.73/hour

$16.85/hour

Cooks

$14.66/hour

$13.81/hour

(Source:StatisticsCanada,LabourForceSurveyCANSIMTable2820069,December2012update)

(Source:StatisticsCanada,LabourForceSurveyCANSIMTable2820069,December2012update)

Albertasaveragehourlywage,at$27.47,isthehighestinCanada Albertaworkersgetpaid$3.53/houror15%morethanthenationalaverage

Revenue,spending&publicsectorwages

AlbertaFederationofLabour 10654101Street,Edmonton,AlbertaT5H2S1 Telephone:7804833021;Tollfree:18006613995 http://www.afl.org

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Revenue,spending& publicsectorwages

February2013

SecondlowestlevelofpublicservicepercapitainCanada

Ontariohasthelowest,Albertaissecondlowest

(Source:StatisticsCanadaCANSIMtable1830002fornumberofgovernmentworkersandCANSIMtabledata0510001forpopulation)

TC*cep445:kp*cope#458 File:G:\Communications\NEWS\AFL\2013\FactSheet_Revenue,spendingandpublicsectorwages.doc

Revenue,spending&publicsectorwages

AlbertaFederationofLabour 10654101Street,Edmonton,AlbertaT5H2S1 Telephone:7804833021;Tollfree:18006613995 http://www.afl.org

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