JAN/FEB 2015
H
business elite canada 7
Economic uncertainty
leading to lower pay
raises in 2015
Canadian companies are lowering their projec-
tions for salary increases in 2015 amid falling
oil prices and economic uncertainty across the
country. According to the Conference Board of
Canada, their Mid-Year Pulse Check compensa-
tion planning survey revealed an average base
salary increase for non-unionized workers of
2.7 percent, down from the 2.9 percent pro-
jected in mid-2014.
Continued reductions to projected pay increas-
es are expected in the energy sector this year,
along with pay freezes in Alberta and Saskatch-
ewan, explained Ian Cullwick, Vice-President,
Leadership and Human Resources Research
for the Conference Board of Canada, in a press
release. Many companies are watching for fur-
ther economic changes before finalizing their
2015 pay plans, he said.
Salary projections for most provinces have
been revised slightly downward, though On-
tario is maintaining its earlier summer forecast
at 2.5 percent for 2015. The lowest increases
are expected in the retail and wholesale trade
sectors at 2.3 percent, following by education,
health and communications at 2.4 percent.
The Mid-Year Pulse Check was sent out in De-
cember 2014 to the 382 organizations that
responded to the board’s Compensation Plan-
ning Outlook 2015 survey conducted during
the summer of 2014. The mid-year survey re-
ceived a response rate of 60 percent, or 228
companies.
