• On the other end of the spectrum, the data show that only 7% of those with AL / LTD have a university degree compared to 18% of those without AL / LTD.
• The table below illustrates the data for the population aged 15 years and older.⁹

4.4 Literacy and Employment

Increasingly, employers are demanding a high school diploma. By 2004, more than 70% of new jobs in Nova Scotia will require some form of a post secondary education. Only 6% of new jobs will be held by those with less than a high school education.¹⁰

There is a correlation between literacy and wage levels in Canada. Over 80 per cent of Canadians at the lowest literacy level and over 60 per cent in the second lowest literacy level have no income, or incomes of less than $27,000. A recent study indicates that each additional year of education a person receives is worth 8.3 per cent on their paycheque. Using an annual base salary of $30,000, this amounts to an additional $2,490 per year. (Literacy, Numeracy and Labour Market Outcomes in Canada, Statistics Canada, 2001).¹¹

It is therefore, not surprising that persons with disabilities experience a significantly higher level of unemployment than the population at large. In Nova Scotia, the unemployment rate for individuals with low levels of literacy is approximately 26% compared to 4% for individuals with high levels of literacy.¹² In HRM, the unemployment rate for persons with AL or LTD is 6% higher than for those without – 14% and 8%, respectively. A more detailed breakdown of these statistics is found in Appendix 4.

⁹ Halifax Metro Labour Market Information Unit, Persons with Disabilities – A Comparison of HRCC Halifax, HRC Dartmouth, HRC Bedford & HRC Halifax, August 2002
^1o Skills Nova Scotia Framework and 2002–2003 Action Plan, page 5
¹¹ ABC Canada, http://www.abc–canada.org/research
¹² Literacy Nova Scotia, www.nald.ca/literacyns, Facts About Literacy 4