B.C.’s minimum wage workers are getting a slight boost next week, but it falls well short of what is considered a living wage for families in Metro Vancouver and the province.
In 2023, the minimum wage was $16.75 per hour. It jumped to $17.40 per hour in 2024 and will jump to $17.85 per hour on June 1.
Living Wage BC and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) suggest that it isn’t enough for most families and individuals to cover their basic expenses and necessities.
According to the province, “Minimum wage rates for residential caretakers, live-in home-support workers, camp leaders, and app-based ride-hailing and delivery services workers will receive the same 2.6 per cent increase on June 1.”
Since 2023, the province has stated that minimum wage increases are tied to the inflation rate, but $17.85 falls well short of a living wage.
Living Wage BC defines living wage as “the hourly amount that someone needs to earn to meet their basic expenses (including rent, food, and transportation) once government taxes, credits, deductions, and subsidies are taken into account.”
While we don’t have 2025 living wage numbers yet, in 2024, the living wage in Metro Vancouver was $27.05, almost $10 more per hour than what the minimum wage will be on June 1.
The living wage is calculated based on a 35-hour work week.
Living Wage BC
According to a 2024 CCPA report, “The living wage is enough for a family with two young children to cover the necessities, support the healthy development of their children, escape severe financial stress, and participate in the social, civic and cultural lives of their communities.”
The CCPA adds that it believes the living wage for an individual is slightly higher than the living wage for a family of four.
In 2024, there were nearly 450 living wage employers across the province. Living Wage BC has a list of some of those employers.
While it might not seem realistic for the province to turn the minimum wage into a living wage overnight, the CCPA believes it can bring minimum wage workers closer to it than next week’s increase.
“The B.C. government should raise the minimum wage to $20 per hour to narrow the
gap between the minimum wage and the living wage, which would benefit over 400,000 people of all ages, working in every region of the province.”
The CCPA points out other ways that the provincial government can help low-income families, such as through pay equity legislation and income support.
“In addition to direct government transfers, accessible public services and infrastructure can reduce out-of-pocket costs for families and thus lower the wage needed to afford a decent standard of living.”
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