Median wages in Windsor fall behind those of Great Lakes cities in the U.S.

A recent study by the Fraser Institute revealed that Windsor ranks 99th out of 107 Great Lakes cities in terms of median employment incomes. The Vancouver-based think-tank looked at 107 metropolitan areas around the Great Lakes and found that Windsor placed 99th in median income at $34,190 CAD. The report also indicated that Southwestern Ontario’s cities have lower employment incomes than large manufacturing cities in the United States. Furthermore, London placed 93rd at $36,180. The study compared median employment income, which includes wages, salaries, and commissions. The study does not offer an explanation for the differences in wages, nor does it measure the quality of living in the cities measured. Another study in 2022 showed a “prosperity gap,” between Ontario and nearby U.S. states. The Fraser Institute points out that the report is not an indication of how liveable a region is, and that wages alone are not a measure of how well people are doing in their communities. They state that there no one indicator can tell the whole story, and point to a “livable cities index” published by the Economist’s research arm in March. They also noted that the high price of electricity in Ontario and differences in tax rates may have contributed to the wage gap. The 2022 study of GDP and the employment income study, both done by the Fraser Institute, show a widening gap between cities in Canada and the United States, with Ontario’s metropolitan areas lagging behind. The Fraser Institute also suggested that the loss in manufacturing jobs in the region may have contributed to the lower median employment incomes. They also noted that wages alone are not a measure of how well people are doing in their communities. The study findings are expected to generate discussion about the economic prosperity of large and midsized urban areas around the Great Lakes region.

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