B.C.'s minimum wage set to rise to $15.65 June 1

B.C.'s minimum wage is set to rise on June 1.

The minimum wage will increase to $15.65 from $15.20 an hour.

"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," Minister of Labour Harry Bains said in a media release. "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."

According to the province, the upcoming minimum wage increase is the first one to be tied to B.C.'s average annual inflation rate. This year's rate was 2.8 per cent calculated from January to December 2021.

When the minimum wage is raised June 1, B.C. will have the highest minimum wage of all Canadian provinces, although Nunavut sits at $16.

The release says the provincial government has made multiple increases to the minimum wage, which was $11.35 five years ago.

According to the province, six per cent of employees in B.C. earn minimum wage. Of those 136,000 workers earning minimum wage, 52 per cent are over 25 years old and 58 per cent are women.

According to the Retail Council of Canada as of January 2022, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan had the lowest minimum wages at $11.75 and $11.81 respectively.

Ontario and Alberta are both at $15, with the Yukon and the Northwest Territories at $15.20

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