Christopher Bruce and Russette Pack summarise the results of a 2014 survey they conducted concerning the costs of providing household services in Alberta. They report that the costs of meal preparation, maintenance and repairs, snow removal and lawn mowing, housecleaning and laundry, and child care have all increased since our last survey; and that the costs of home care and meal preparation have not changed since 2010.

Dr. Bruce and Ms. Pack also discuss two puzzles in the data: Why do housecleaning services cost $10 to $15 per hour more if those services are provided by professional companies than if they are provided by individuals hired from websites such as Kijiji? And why do individuals advertising on Kijiji charge approximately $10 per hour more than the wages paid to employees listed as “light duty cleaners” in the Alberta Wage and Salary Survey.