B.C.’s minimum wage is going up in September, but not by a lot.
Jobs minister Shirley Bond announced Thursday that the rate, currently $10.25 an hour, will move up by 20 cents in September to $10.45 an hour.
Bond said moving forward, the minimum wage will be connected to B.C.’s Consumer Price Index in an effort to make increases more predictable.
“It does mean that there is now certainty and predictability, and we can certainly expect as the economy improves, the CPI will continue to increase,” Bond said.
The move comes in response to calls for a higher minimum wage, with many asking for an increase to as much as $15 an hour.
“I’ve been very clear that our government is not moving to $15 an hour,” Bond said.
In addition, Bond said B.C.'s "server wage' will increase from $9.00 an hour to $9.20 in September.
Tourism and small businesses minister Naomi Yamamoto said the government was “very concerned” about imposing high costs on businesses, and the decision to tie the minimum wage to the CPI was made after consulting small business owners.
Bond said the wage will be evaluated annually, and businesses will get a heads up in March of any changes to come in September.
