The purpose of this study is to indicate some public treasury effects of removing wage discrimination against women in the province of New Brunswick. For this purpose, a quantitative estimate of the gender wage gap resulting from discrimination is obtained. This quantitative estimate is then used to estimate the potential effect on the provincial public treasury that would likely occur if a program aimed at removing wage discrimination in the province were introduced. The particular components of the public treasury that are considered include: government tax revenue, health care costs, and government transfers paid to individuals and families. The effect on these public treasury components is then compared with the additional employer payroll cost resulting from higher wages for women under an anti-discriminatory program.
Authors: Colin Dodds, M.A. and Ronald Colman, Ph.D
Statistical and socio-economic analysis of income distribution trends regionally and over time in Nova Scotia, including inter-provincial and gender comparisons. Accompanied by a 266-page database with income distribution trends for Canadian provinces.
