Canadian companies face benefits cost sticker shock when setting up shop in the U.S.

Canadian employers that decide to set up shop in the United States will notice a big difference when it comes to benefits costs. In the United States, the average premium for family coverage for employer-sponsored health-care benefits was US$17,545 in 2015, according to an annual survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. For single coverage, the average premium was US$6,251. Conversely, in Canada, the average cost of providing benefits for employees was $8,330 (in Canadian dollars) per full-time equivalent that same year, according to a study by the Conference Board of Canada.