Yesterday, the Province announced that British Columbia’s minimum wage for workers will be increasing from $15.65 to $16.75 an hour on June 1, 2023. The increase is based on British Columbia’s average inflation rate in 2022, which was 6.9%. The Government has also indicated an ongoing commitment to tie annual minimum wage increases to inflation.

In its news release, the Province expressed that “[t]he increase will positively affect approximately 150,000 workers who earn less than $16.75. Many are food service staff, grocery store workers, retail workers and others who were essential workers during the pandemic.” The increase will also apply to wages for residential caretakers, live-in home-support workers and camp leaders.

Once the increase comes into effect, British Columbia will have the second highest minimum wage in Canada, second only to Yukon where the minimum wage as of April 1, 2023 is $16.77.