Source: The Canadian Press

Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees rose 4.4% to $865.17 between November 2009 and November 2010.

Statistics Canada attributes some of the growth to a 1.3% increase in the average number of hours worked per week.

The agency says the remainder of November’s wage increase was due to several other factors, including higher wages, changes in the composition of employment by industry, changes in occupations within industries and job experience.

Average weekly earnings increased in every province.

Growth was above the national average in Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Alberta and Nova Scotia, while New Brunswick had the slowest growth.

Among the 10 industrial sectors with more than 700,000 employees, growth in average weekly earnings was faster than the national average in educational services; manufacturing; accommodation and food services; professional, scientific and technical services; and wholesale trade.

The slowest growth in earnings was in health care and social assistance, as well as administrative and support services.