The minimum wage in BC is set to increase by more than a dollar this week, however, in many places of the province it doesn't come close to living wages.
At the beginning of April, the provincial government said the minimum wage would increase from $15.65 to $16.75 an hour on June 1.
The 6.9% increase is meant to reflect BC’s average annual inflation rate in 2022.
According to the Ministry of Labour, the wage increase is expected to apply to about 150,000 workers.
As of Thursday, BC will have the second highest minimum wage at $16.75 in the country with only the Yukon being higher at $16.77 an hour.
“Having a minimum wage that keeps up with inflation is a key step to prevent the lowest paid workers from falling behind,” said Harry Bains, minister of labour, in April.
“These workers and their families feel the impacts of high costs much more than anyone else.”
Bains said the minimum-wage rates would also increase for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers and live-in camp leaders.
However, despite having the highest minimum wage of any province, the increase does not come close to the estimated living wages needed in many parts of BC.
According to Living Wages for Families BC, there is still a significant gap between the rising cost of living and the minimum wage increase.
"The government’s plans to increase the minimum wage to $16.75 is good news for the thousands of workers across BC who depend on it,” said Living Wage for Families provincial manager, Anastasia French, in a statement.
“However, there is still a $7.00 an hour gap between the legal minimum you must pay workers and what they actually need to be able to survive.”
According to Living Wages for Families in BC, the living wage is the hourly amount that each of two working parents with two young children must earn to meet their basic expenses like rent, child care, food and transportation once government taxes, credits, deductions and subsidies are taken into account.
This does not include debt repayment or saving for future plans.
Haida Gwaii and Golden have some of the highest estimated living wages in BC at $25.87 and $25.56 an hour, respectively.
Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Salt Spring Island and the Sunshine Coast all come in at just over $24 an hour.
It is estimated that people living in places like Cowichan Valley, Fernie, Powell River and Revelstoke anything between $23.33 and $23.60 is considered a living wage.
People living in Kelowna, one of the country’s fastest growing municipalities, need to make a minimum of $22.88 to meet their basic living needs.
Some of the lowest living wages are in Kamloops ($19.14) and the Fraser Valley ($18.98).
French says communities differ when it comes to their cost of living.
While some may have lower housing or child care costs, others may have lower-cost public transit or easier access to goods and services.
Regardless, Living Wages for Families in BC continues to advocate and call on the government to take action to not only lift the minimum wage but bring the costs down.
The organization says the minimum wage should be calculated on a regional basis so workers in different cities don’t have to work multiple jobs to be able to make ends meet.
“No matter where they live, families should be able to afford a decent life. There are jobs that need to be done in every community, and therefore people need homes, services, and a good quality of life in every community,” adds the organization.
