Albertans working long hours

Albertans are known for working long hours, but according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada, employees in another province clock in about 54 minutes more per week.
 
Employees in Alberta put in, on average, 31.3 hours of work per week in July. With an additional 1.7 hours of overtime, that makes for a 33-hour work week. People in Newfoundland and Labrador, on the other hand, work 33.9 hours a week—the longest weekly toil in the country. They do put in a bit less overtime than those in Alberta, though.
 
Nationally, employees were on the job for an average of 30.9 hours per week (including overtime). The figures include both part-time and full-time workers, but do not include the self-employed.
 
Strong economies in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador are credited (or blamed) for the long work hours. In Alberta, a lower ratio of part-time to full-time work is also a contributing factor.
 
Workers on The Rock may work almost an hour more per week, but Albertans’ paycheques are by far the biggest in the country. Average weekly earnings were $1,153.81 in July, before taxes and adjusted for seasonality. That compares with the national average of $940.43.
 
Not only do Alberta employees earn the most, their wages are increasing rapidly. Compared with July of last year, earnings are up 4.8 per cent—the third fastest rate among all provinces. It’s also nearly twice the annual increase in consumer price inflation, which rose 2.6 per cent in July.

*Article courtesy of Todd Hirsch of ATB Financial.  Thanks Todd!!