Hub Podcasts Breaking a Canadian record: Male seniors now earn more than young men
Dec 12, 2025
Mike Moffat, founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative and expert on housing and economic challenges, dives into groundbreaking data showing that 65-year-old men now earn more than their younger counterparts for the first time in Canada. He explores the reasons behind stagnant incomes for young men, including delayed career starts and insufficient government support. Moffat also highlights the wider implications, from delayed family formations to political alienation, making a case for intersectional policies addressing both age and gender.
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Older Men Now Outearn Young Men
- For the first time in Canadian history, average 65-year-old men now earn more than average 25–34-year-old men after inflation and taxes.
- Mike Moffatt found young men haven't seen real wage growth in about 25 years while seniors' incomes steadily rose since 1976.
All-Income, After-Tax Analysis
- The analysis uses all income sources: employment, investment, and government transfers, after-tax and inflation-adjusted.
- Seniors' median and average incomes rose by over $23,000 since 1976 while younger men fell by over $8,000.
Why Senior Incomes Rose
- More seniors are working than in 1976, raising average employment income because a larger share has jobs.
- But most senior gains come from investments and government transfers, not higher earnings per job.