Vital Signs Data
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
SDG 8: Ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth to drive progress, create decent jobs for all and improve living standards.
Income Indicators
Income Indicators
As of the 2021 census, PEC has a:
- large proportion of people not participating in the labour force (PEC 48.9% / ON 37.2%)
- great reliance on government income supports (PEC 19.9% / ON 17.1%)
- high dependency ratio - fewer people are earning money to support the needs of the non-working population (PEC 82.1% / ON 52.4%) (Public Health Ontario Marginalization Index)
| Income indicator | PEC 2016 | PEC 20/21 | Ontario 20/21 | PEC 2023 | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| median after-tax income of households | $59,259 | $72,000 | $79,500 | $ 75,574 | PEC's household income historically lags behind the province. |
| prevalence of low income (%) (defined as less than 50% median after-tax household income) | 13.5 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 13.4% | Household income of less than $37,787/year (2023). See the Stats Canada alert below regarding 20/21 income data |
| income dependency on govt income supports (%) | 16.7 | 19.9 | 17.1 | Includes EI, Ontario Works, ODSP, OAS, CERB, Child benefits etc. | |
| worked full year, full time (%) | 28.5 | 27.3 | 33.8 | ||
| worked part year and/or part time (%) | 30.2 | 25.6 | 28.3 | PEC's economy relies heavily on the seasonal tourism and agriculture sectors | |
| class of worker: employee (%) | 78.6 | 73.2 | 82.6 | ||
| class of worker: self-employed (%) | 20.3 | 25.5 | 14.6 | PEC has high rates of self-employment, and an entrepreneurial spirit. | |
| worked at home (%) | 13.2 | 27.6 | 29.7 | The pandemic accelerated the rate of people working remotely. |
Income Disparities
The median after-tax household income in Ontario is $84,092, compared to $75,573in PEC. (Environics Analytics)
18.5% of PEC workers are employed in food services, accommodation and retail sales – sectors with the lowest average weekly earnings. See industry composition.
Household after-tax income in 2023
Inequalities
The pandemic deepened societal inequalities, widening the gap between those who are doing well and those who are not. Low-income workers are being driven further into poverty and insecurity. Many low-wage jobs were lost while high-wage jobs surged.
“Inequality makes for unhealthier societies. Life expectancy, literacy, infant mortality, imprisonment, murder rates, obesity, teen birthrates, mental illness (including addiction), social mobility, trust — all get worse across the entire income spectrum when the gap between rich and poor widens.”
Richard Wilkinson, Public Health Researcher
Wage Inequities
- Women are more likely than men to be working for minimum wage. A gender pay gap persists across all jobs in the country, with women earning 29 per cent less than men annually. (Canadian Women The Gender Pay Gap )
- The proportion of immigrant employees who earn minimum wage is greater than Canadian-born employees. (Canada, Towards a Poverty Reduction Strategy – Discussion Paper)
Growing Gap Between High and Low Incomes
The Gini index (at right) measures income inequality, showing how evenly income is distributed in a population. Higher numbers indicate higher inequality, a greater gap between the incomes of the richest and poorest people.
High income inequality can lead to problems like slower economic growth, less income mobility, more household debt, political divisions, and higher poverty rates.
Statistics Canada. 2021 Census of Population, Focus on Geography
Declining Affordability
Adding to the financial burden of low-income earners is the highest level of inflation in 35 years. This is taking a toll on affordability.
- Two-thirds of Ontarions surveyed say they will be in financial trouble if interest rates go up much further (69%, +14pts), more than any other province.
- Proportion who report being insolvent hits record high, with a third indicating they can’t cover their bills and debt payments (38%, +8pts).
- More than half report that they are $200 away or less from not being able to meet all their financial obligations (54%, +6pts), more than any other province.
Low-Income
In 2022, 1,520 households (13.4% of the population) in Prince Edward County were classified as low-income (after-tax). The Low-Income Measure, After Tax (LIM-AT), represents households earning 50% or less of the median adjusted after-tax income. In 2023, this threshold is approximately $37,787 or below (based on median household after-tax income of ~ $75,574). (Statistics Canada. Table 98-10-0106-01 Household low-income status by household type: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions)
PEC has the highest percentage of low income seniors among Ontario census divisions (33%). (Rural Ontario Institute Seniors Fact Sheet)
Living in low income diminishes sufficient financial resources to afford adequate food, shelter, clothing, transportation and other necessities of economic and social well-being. See poverty reduction.
Dependence on Income Supports
In 2020, Prince Edward County’s reliance on government income supports rose from 16.7% to 19.9%, with 3.9% coming from COVID-19 relief benefits. In Ontario, reliance increased from 11.1% to 17.1%, including 5.5% from COVID-19 supports.
Additionally, over one-third of PEC’s population is aged 65 and older, making them eligible for Old Age Security (OAS) benefits.
As of March 31, 2023, 1200 PEC households rely on income from the ODSP Ontario Disability Support Program (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services) and 234 households rely on Ontario Works (PELA Social Services). Income from these programs is well below the poverty line.
Dependency on Social Assistance income as of March 31, 2023:
| Adults | Children | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Works | 253 | 160 | 413 people |
| 234 households | |||
| ODSP | 1200 households | ||
| 1434 people |
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
SDG 8: Ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth to drive progress, create decent jobs for all and improve living standards.
Income Indicators
Income Indicators
As of the 2021 census, PEC has a:
- large proportion of people not participating in the labour force (PEC 48.9% / ON 37.2%)
- great reliance on government income supports (PEC 19.9% / ON 17.1%)
- high dependency ratio - fewer people are earning money to support the needs of the non-working population (PEC 82.1% / ON 52.4%) (Public Health Ontario Marginalization Index)
| Income indicator | PEC 2016 | PEC 20/21 | Ontario 20/21 | PEC 2023 | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| median after-tax income of households | $59,259 | $72,000 | $79,500 | $ 75,574 | PEC's household income historically lags behind the province. |
| prevalence of low income (%) (defined as less than 50% median after-tax household income) | 13.5 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 13.4% | Household income of less than $37,787/year (2023). See the Stats Canada alert below regarding 20/21 income data |
| income dependency on govt income supports (%) | 16.7 | 19.9 | 17.1 | Includes EI, Ontario Works, ODSP, OAS, CERB, Child benefits etc. | |
| worked full year, full time (%) | 28.5 | 27.3 | 33.8 | ||
| worked part year and/or part time (%) | 30.2 | 25.6 | 28.3 | PEC's economy relies heavily on the seasonal tourism and agriculture sectors | |
| class of worker: employee (%) | 78.6 | 73.2 | 82.6 | ||
| class of worker: self-employed (%) | 20.3 | 25.5 | 14.6 | PEC has high rates of self-employment, and an entrepreneurial spirit. | |
| worked at home (%) | 13.2 | 27.6 | 29.7 | The pandemic accelerated the rate of people working remotely. |
Income Disparities
The median after-tax household income in Ontario is $84,092, compared to $75,573in PEC. (Environics Analytics)
18.5% of PEC workers are employed in food services, accommodation and retail sales – sectors with the lowest average weekly earnings. See industry composition.
Household after-tax income in 2023
Inequalities
The pandemic deepened societal inequalities, widening the gap between those who are doing well and those who are not. Low-income workers are being driven further into poverty and insecurity. Many low-wage jobs were lost while high-wage jobs surged.
“Inequality makes for unhealthier societies. Life expectancy, literacy, infant mortality, imprisonment, murder rates, obesity, teen birthrates, mental illness (including addiction), social mobility, trust — all get worse across the entire income spectrum when the gap between rich and poor widens.”
Richard Wilkinson, Public Health Researcher
A Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce report states that the jobs lost in 2020 were primarily among workers who earned below-average wages, while high-wage earners gained almost 350,000 jobs. (Benjamin Tal, “Canadian Labour Market Dichotomy — Deeper Than Perceived,” CIBC Economics, 19 Jan. 2021, p. 3
Additionally, Canadian households built up $160 billion in savings during the first three-quarters of 2020. This is due to a large increase in government support and a decline in spending. While one-in five (18%) Canadians are better off, nearly two-in-five (39%) are worse off, according to the 2020 BDO Affordability Index. (BDO Debt Solutions, “BDO Affordability Index 2020: COVID-19 intensifies economic disparity in Canada”)
Wage Inequities
- Women are more likely than men to be working for minimum wage.
- The proportion of immigrant employees who earn minimum wage is greater than Canadian-born employees.
(Canada, Towards a Poverty Reduction Strategy – Discussion Paper)
Growing Gap Between High and Low Incomes
The Gini index (at right) measures income inequality, showing how evenly income is distributed in a population. Higher numbers indicate higher inequality, a greater gap between the incomes of the richest and poorest people.
High income inequality can lead to problems like slower economic growth, less income mobility, more household debt, political divisions, and higher poverty rates.
Statistics Canada. 2021 Census of Population, Focus on Geography
Declining Affordability
Adding to the financial burden of low-income earners is the highest level of inflation in 35 years. This is taking a toll on affordability.
- Two-thirds of Ontarions surveyed say they will be in financial trouble if interest rates go up much further (69%, +14pts), more than any other province.
- Proportion who report being insolvent hits record high, with a third indicating they can’t cover their bills and debt payments (38%, +8pts).
- More than half report that they are $200 away or less from not being able to meet all their financial obligations (54%, +6pts), more than any other province.
Low-Income
In 2022, 1,520 households (13.4% of the population) in Prince Edward County were classified as low-income (after-tax). The Low-Income Measure, After Tax (LIM-AT), represents households earning 50% or less of the median adjusted after-tax income. In 2023, this threshold is approximately $37,787 or below (based on median household after-tax income of ~ $75,574). (Statistics Canada. Table 98-10-0106-01 Household low-income status by household type: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions)
Living in low income diminishes sufficient financial resources to afford adequate food, shelter, clothing, transportation and other necessities of economic and social well-being. See poverty reduction.
Dependence on Income Supports
In 2020, Prince Edward County’s reliance on government income supports rose from 16.7% to 19.9%, with 3.9% coming from COVID-19 relief benefits. In Ontario, reliance increased from 11.1% to 17.1%, including 5.5% from COVID-19 supports.
Additionally, over one-third of PEC’s population is aged 65 and older, making them eligible for Old Age Security (OAS) benefits.
As of March 31, 2023, 1200 PEC households rely on income from the ODSP Ontario Disability Support Program (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services) and 234 households rely on Ontario Works (PELA Social Services). Income from these programs is well below the poverty line.
Dependency on Social Assistance income as of March 31, 2023:
| Adults | Children | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Works | 253 | 160 | 413 people |
| 234 households | |||
| ODSP | 1200 households | ||
| 1434 people |
