The 2024 living wage for Winnipeg is $18.75 per hour. In Brandon it is $16.28 per hour, and in Thompson it is $17.90 per hour. The living wage is the hourly rate at which a family with two parents working full-time, and two children can meet its basic needs once government transfers have been added to the family’s income and deductions have been subtracted.
The expansion of targeted, indexed government transfers to low-wage families played a central role in this year’s living wage changes. For the Winnipeg living wage family, government transfers increased by 16% while household costs increased by 2%. Food price inflation remained high at nearly 8 percent in 2023, however the price of other large expenses such as child care, and transportation remained stable or decreased slightly. Stabilizing prices, higher government support, and a significant raise in Manitoba’s Basic Personal Amount in 2023 have created a situation where the living wage has decreased slightly for some Manitoba families.
About the authors
Niall Harney
Niall (he/him) joined CCPA-Manitoba in February 2022 as the Errol Black Chair in Labour Issues. His research focuses on labour markets, income inequality, public finance, and political economy. Prior to joining the CCPA-MB Niall worked as a research analyst with non-profits and social enterprises across the country, and as an organizer with the Canadian Federation of Students. Niall has a BA in Global Political Economy from the University of Manitoba and an MSc in Geography from McGill University.
