BC’s minimum wage will be increasing by $.60 on June 1 – bringing it to $17.40 an hour.
Cathy Mackay, the President of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, had mixed feelings on the increase.
“It is a very modest wage for someone working full time and being a primary income generator in a household,” she said, “but on the other hand, for those part-time staff, high school and university students starting out, it does seem to be a little bit high as a starting wage.”
“It will add to the costs of small and medium-sized businesses,” Mackay added – citing Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan repayments and the Employee Health Tax as other recent expenses businesses have been facing lately.
Provincial officials say the 3.9 percent increase is consistent with the province’s average inflation rate through last year.
The minimum wage in BC was $10.25 an hour 10 years ago.
“It is a tricky thing… retaining people is such a challenge in the business world that I would like to think that is what drives businesses to pay a living wage and higher,” Mackay said.
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