Minimum wage will soon be raised in BC, making it the highest across all Canadian provinces.
In a press release Monday, the BC government announced the provincial minimum wage would be raised .45 cents to $15.65 an hour, starting June 1st.
“B.C. had one of the lowest minimum wages in the country prior to 2017, but was one of the most expensive places to live,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour.
“We do not want our lowest-paid workers to fall behind. The minimum wage increases tied to inflation are part of our plan to build an economy that works for everyone.”
In 2020, the province committed to increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour through measured, predictable increases and then tie future increases to the rate of inflation.
The change marks the first province in the country to tie minimum wage increase to inflation, which was 2.8 per cent last year.
Over the past five years, the province’s minimum wage has increased from $11.35 to $15.65 per hour benefiting close to 400,000 British Columbians, the majority of whom are women, immigrants and youth.
As of June 1st, an increase of 2.8% will also apply to live-in camper leader and live-in support worker minimum daily wages and resident caretaker minimum monthly wage.
Effective January 1st, 2023, an increase of 2.8% will also be apply to minimum piece rates for hand harvesting of 15 specified crops in the agricultural sector, including: peaches, apricots, Brussels sprouts, daffodils, mushrooms, apples, beans, blueberries, cherries, grapes, pears, peas, prune plums, raspberries, and strawberries.
