metro-vancouvers-living-wage-is-now-more-than-$27-an-hour
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Metro Vancouvers living wage is now more than $27 an hour

ByAmy Judd

Posted November 20, 2024 6:10 pm Updated November 20, 2024 8:42 pm 2 min read 2:02 BC’s living wage rises More evidence today of just how expensive it is to live in B.C. – even if you have a full-time job. As Travis Prasad reports, a study has found Metro Vancouver residents need to earn almost $10 dollars an hour more than minimum wage – just to cover essentials like food and housing. A new report has found that residents of Metro Vancouver need to make $27.05 an hour to earn a living wage, a 5.3-per cent increase from last year. The wage, calculated by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office and Living Wage BC, is the hourly rate that each of two parents working full-time must earn to support a family of four based on the cost of living in a particular community. B.C.’s current minimum wage is $17.40 per hour. The report found that nearly half a million workers — 37 per cent of all paid employees in Metro Vancouver — earn less than the living wage. Anastasia French, provincial manager at Living Wage BC, told Global News that the living wage is what a worker needs to pay for basic essentials like food and rent. Story continues below advertisement “What we found this year is that the living wage really varies depending on where you live,” she said. “All the way from Grand Forks with the lowest living wage in B.C. at $20.81, all the way up to $28 in Whistler. But it’s Metro Vancouver, which is where the vast majority of people in B.C. live.” 2:08 Living wage climbs above $25 per hour French said factors such as housing costs and food keep going up at a rate that is unaffordable for many workers. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Government’s financial relief measures, such as affordable childcare programs, were intended to help offset those rising costs. However, the report found that those measures are outpaced by rising rents. “Rent has been the most expensive item in the Metro Vancouver living wage family budget since the calculation was first produced in 2008 and this year is no exception,” Iglika Ivanova, senior economist at the B.C. office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the report’s lead author, said in a statement. Trending Now Story continues below advertisement Shelter costs for a family in Metro Vancouver increased 9.5 per cent this year, which is roughly an additional $276 a month. 4:07 B.C.’s minimum wage jumping from $16.75 to $17.40 an hour Metro Vancouver’s living wage is the third highest in the province, behind Whistler at $28.89 per hour and Clayoquot Sound at $27.42 per hour. “We recognize that $27 is a really high wage, for many employers it might be out of reach,” French said. “It’s worth factoring in any benefits that you offer because that might make you a living wage more manageable.” In the Interior, the living wage in Kelowna is now $25.77, which is an increase of 4.76 per cent from 2023. &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Sponsored content

gst-relief-announcement-generates-mixed-reaction-in-bc.
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GST relief announcement generates mixed reaction in B.C.

ByAmy Judd

While Canadians no doubt welcome the announcement that the federal government is giving most residents a GST break over the holidays, B.C.’s local small business community has concerns about how this will work during the busy season. “Any time the government wants to cut taxes, that’s a good thing,” Dan Kelly, president, CEO and chair of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business told Global News. “At the same time, this comes with a whole bunch of administrative complexity and questions and uncertainty that small business owners will be grappling with.” 1:17 Reaction in B.C. to temporary tax break, $250 rebate cheque Kelly said some businesses will have to reprogram their point of sale machines, twice and navigating the list of products that are part of the exemption could be confusing. Story continues below advertisement “We’re already getting questions about which products are in or out,” he added. “And then, of course, there is the administrative process that most small business owners do themselves. They try to adjust their point-of-sale machines to apply or take off taxes, depending on what is in place.” Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. On Thursday, the federal government announced it will introduce legislation in Parliament to provide for a two-month GST and HST break for groceries and holiday essentials. If passed, the exemption would last from Dec. 14, 2024 to Feb. 15, 2025. Some of the goods that would qualify include children’s clothing, footwear, diapers, car seats, print newspapers, books, Christmas trees, food or beverages including alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages, candies, chips, granola products, fruit bars and more. Here is a full list. Trending Now “Will it have a big impact? No, it won’t. Will it have a little impact? Yes, it will,” Ian Tostenston with the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association told Global News. 2:19 Federal government launches multi-billion dollar affordability programs In a statement, Restaurants Canada said it is pleased by the announcement as more than half of restaurants are operating at a loss or just breaking even, up from 12 per cent pre-pandemic. Story continues below advertisement “Today’s announcement restores some much-needed hope to our industry and we are optimistic it will translate to increased spending at local restaurants across the country,” the organization said in a statement. “Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister means that more Canadians will be able to celebrate with loved ones at a restaurant, have lunch with colleagues or treat themselves to a morning pastry on their way to work.” &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.