2012: Q1 2012 continued the up-and-down pattern typical for Ottawa wages, as they fell 0.5 percent after having grown more than 1 percent the previous quarter. Due to the bouncy nature of Ottawa residents’ earnings, it’s hard to predict whether Q2 2012 will bring upward or downward movement.
2007-2011: While wages managed to grow in Canada’s capital city between 2007 and 2011, they tended to move up and down quite a bit along the way. A handful of peaks and valleys brought earnings for Ottawa residents to a high point in late 2008 but immediately lost ground with a steady downward slide in 2009. Wages then rose in early 2010, sliding back towards the end of that year.
In true Ottawa fashion, wages bounced around throughout 2011 before finishing the year a full percent ahead of their previous, Q3 2008 peak, up 1.6 percent year-over-year.
Methodology for The PayScale Index: Trends in Compensation
The Ottawa Metro Area includes people in Ottawa, ON.; Gatineau, QC.; Clarence-Rockland, ON.; and the surrounding areas.
The PayScale Index tracks quarterly changes in total cash compensation for full-time, private industry employees. It uses 2006 average total cash compensation as a baseline.
