B.C. is set to implement a pay raise for its lowest-paid workers as the general minimum wage is slated to rise from $16.75 to $17.40 per hour come June 1, 2024.
This increase of 3.9% mirrors B.C.’s average rate of inflation in 2023.
Similarly, alternate minimum rates for roles such as residential caretakers, live-in home-support workers, and camp leaders will see a matching 3.9% increase on June 1. Additionally, as of December 31, 2024, minimum piece rates for 15 hand-harvested crops will also undergo a 3.9% increment.
Minister of Labour, Harry Bains, emphasized, “B.C. has gone from having one of the lowest minimum wages in the country to the highest of all the provinces. We made a commitment to tie minimum wage increases to the rate of inflation to prevent B.C.’s lowest-paid workers from falling behind. And today, we are enshrining that commitment into law.”
Through the amendments in Bill 2, forthcoming increases to all minimum rates will be automatically determined by the previous year’s average inflation rate for B.C. This move aims to provide certainty and predictability for both workers and employers, ensuring that minimum-wage earners can anticipate increases every year.
The majority of wage rates are slated to increase on June 1 of each year, except for agricultural piece rates, which will see an increase on Dec. 31 of each year to avoid mid-season adjustments for crop producers.
Carmen Velasco, a fast-food worker in Richmond, expressed her support, stating, “As a fast-food worker earning minimum wage, I welcome the government’s rule to increase wages with inflation annually, providing much-needed financial stability to cope with the rising cost of living.”
These changes are in line with government priorities aimed at lifting more people out of poverty, making life more affordable, and building a strong and fair economy for B.C.
Quick Facts
- In 2023, B.C. increased the minimum wage by 6.9%, aligning with the increase in the cost of living in the province in 2022.
- At least eight other Canadian jurisdictions also base their minimum wage increases on annual changes to the rate of inflation determined by the Consumer Price Index.
