Income inequality growing in Canada-CBC

Canada, 19th July: The latest report unveiled by the Conference Board of Canada shows an increasing income inequality in Canada over the last two decades.

Income inequality in Canada increasing--Titled ‘Canada Inequality: Is Canada becoming more unequal?’, the report by the CBC(Conference Board of Canada) states that rich are becoming richer in Canada while the middle class and the poor are becoming poorer.

The report also seems to question the validity of the national campaign named ‘All Together Now’ launched in Canada for almost a year now.

The campaign had maintained that increased income inequality can not only restrict the development of the nation by underutilizing the capabilities of its people but could lead to social unease. Moreover, income inequality in Canada is also a big question mark on the social justice, the campaign stated.

Income gap between top and bottom Canadians doubled—As per the report released 13th July, 2011 based on the income inequality of Canadians for the past 15 years, the middle-class witnessed a decline in their income while the top 20 percent of Canadian wage earners became wealthier.

This is despite the fact that there has been an increase in the median income between the years 1976 and 2009 from $45,800 to $48,300. This means that although Canadians are, in absolute sense, earning more than they have been around 15 years back, but the gap has widened, stated president of CBC, Anne Golden.

This resulted in taking the income gap between the top 20 percent and bottom 20 percent of wage earners in Canada from $92,300 to $177,500.

Immigrants among low-earners in Canada--Another fact worth consideration is that immigrants in Canada are also earning quite little income or even nothing.

This is due to several factors including language barriers and bureaucratic obstacles, which prevent the nation from realizing the optimum potential of immigrants in Canada resulting in failure to earn high incomes.

Who are at risk of becoming low-income Canadians—The report by CBC also cautions that among the people at risk of falling in the low-income group could be women, seniors, those with disabilities, visible minorities, Aboriginal Canadians, unattached individuals, lone-parent families and even children.