Residents of rural Graham Island, Port Clements and Sandspit have the highest average earnings on the islands, according to numbers released last week by Statistics Canada.
The average rural Graham Island resident took home almost $33,000 in 2000, while workers in Port and Sandspit took home close to $32,000. The average wage in these three communities was more than the provincial average of $31,500.
Average earnings in Masset and Queen Charlotte were just under $30,000, and in Skidegate the figure was $26,300. Numbers are not available for Old Massett.
Men made more money than women in every community on the islands. Average earnings for male workers were highest in Port Clements at $45,600, followed by Sandspit at $37,900, rural Graham Island at $37,500, Queen Charlotte at $36,700, Masset at $35,000 and Skidegate at $30,900.
But while men in Port made the highest average wage on the islands, women living there made the lowest: $19,000. Women living in rural Graham Island reported the highest average earnings, at just over $27,000. Women in Masset had the next-highest average paycheques, at $23,400, followed by Queen Charlotte at $22,800, Sandspit at $22,000 and Skidegate at $21,300.
Approximately 2,655 islanders reported that they earned wages in 2000. Of these, however, only 995 worked full time for the whole year. Logically enough, the average earnings reported by full-time workers are somewhat higher than the average for all workers.
Among full-time, full-year workers on the islands, Area D residents once again made the biggest paycheques: an average of $47,400. Full-time workers living in Sandspit reported average earnings of $45,100, while those living in Port reported earnings of $44,200 - the same as the provincial average. Full-time workers in Masset had average earnings of $41,700, Queen Charlotte $40,400 and Skidegate $35,000.
Men working full-time brought home much more money than women working full-time. Full-time male workers living in rural Graham Island, Port and Sandspit all made approximately $56,300 - much higher than the provincial average of $50,200. Men working full-time and living in the other islands communities all made less than the provincial average - an average of $44,800 for Masset residents, $43,600 for Queen Charlotte and $38,100 for Skidegate.