Young people earning less than parents did: census

Extra years in school aren't paying off financially for many of Canada's young people, who are better educated but worse paid than people their age a generation ago.

According to census data released Thursday by Statistics Canada, workers between the ages of 25 and 29 make less than their predecessors, especially men.

In 1980, median earnings for full-time male workers in that age group were equal to $43,767 in today's wages. In 2000, they had dropped to $38,110 and by 2005 they were at $37,680.

While women have statistically always earned less than men, their drop in wages was notably less drastic. In 1980, women aged 25 to 29 made $32,813 in inflation-adjusted dollars. In 2005 they earned just slightly less, $32,104, according to the report, titled "Earnings and Incomes of Canadians over the Past Quarter Century, 2006 Census."

The trend toward reducing wages for young men began in developed countries around the world in the early 1980s, according to StatsCan analyst Rene Morissette.


Read More