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June 01, 2022 - 6:00 AM
B.C. minimum wage went up today so the lowest-paid workers in the province will now earn $15.65 an hour.
The increase from $15.20 means B.C. continues to have the highest minimum wage of any province, although the territory of Nunavut sits at $16.
The increase is one of many brought in by the NDP government. When the NDP came into power in 2017 the minimum wage was $11.35 an hour.
According to the province, around 136,000 people in British Columbia earn the minimum wage, the majority of whom are women, immigrants or youth.
"Having a fair minimum wage is a key step in helping to lift more people out of poverty, make life more affordable and build a strong economy for B.C.," B.C. Minister of Labour Harry Bains said in a media release. "We will continue to advocate for fair wages for all workers, especially those low-income workers who have been so essential to our health and well-being during the pandemic."
The minimum wage is now tied to the average annual inflation rate, which in 2021 was 2.8 per cent.
In June 2021, the province ended a lower minimum wage for liquor servers in B.C.
According to the province, six per cent of employees in B.C. earn minimum wage, more than half of them are over 25 years old and 58 per cent are women.
In 2001, the minimum was $8 an hour and a decade later had only increased to $8.75.
Currently, Nunavut has the highest minimum wage at $16, followed by B.C., then Yukon at $15.70 and Northwest Territories at $15.20. Alberta and Ontario both sit at $15 an hour, with Quebec at $14.25. Saskatchewan has the lowest minimum wage in Canada at $11.81.
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