Can you spot the errors?

This is a classic propaganda poster – this one was shared on LinkedIn. It misrepresents much information!

CAD 17.30 is equivalent to about USD 12.50 – and is the figure to compare to USD 7.25.

34 US States have their own minimum wage laws – the average of these 34 states is $14.50 per hour, which is actually higher in USD terms than the Canadian minimum wage. This accounts for about two thirds of the U.S. population. Additionally, several large US cities have their own minimum wage laws, some as high as $25/hour, and some are set by industry.

Canada’s median federal tax is about 20.5%, and when combined with provincial taxes, is about 31%. In the U.S. the combined rate is about 25% (varies 25-30% depending on state). Some US states have no income tax and a few have very high state income taxes (CA, MA, etc). Further most income tax rates are a marginal tax rate – you only pay 22% Federal tax on income above a certain level.

Canada does have a paid leave law but it is misrepresented in this poster. Those requesting paid leave have a choice of

• Standard Leave – up to 40 weeks at 55% of their pay (to a maximum of $695/week)
• Extended Parental Leave – up to 69 weeks at 33% of their pay (to a maximum of $417/week)

Workers must request in advance which type of leave they wish – the 40 weeks or the 69 weeks, and cannot switch back and forth between them. An additional 15 weeks of maternity leave may be provided to mothers and is also limited to 55% of pay. While both parents may receive leave, much of that leave must be shared between the parents (e.g. one parent takes 30 weeks and one takes 10 weeks).

Many US states also have paid leave laws, although the majority of states do not have such laws.