As living costs continue to rise in British Columbia, the provincial government has announced an increase in the minimum wage. Starting June 1, the hourly minimum wage will increase by 65 cents, moving from $16.75 to $17.40.
The Minister of Labour Harry Bains said that these measures reflect the province’s commitment to supporting low-income workers. The aim is to “prevent B.C.’s lowest-paid workers from falling behind.”
Despite these steps, some students believe that this wage increase won’t address broader affordability issues and will not be enough to make a significant impact.
Negin Hashemzadeh, a third-year computer science student said “Based on the current rate of inflation and what we see in the price of rentals and other stuff, it is nothing that can actually help or level up the lifestyle of someone.”
Similarly, Justin St Denis, a second-year psychology student who works at Starbucks, expressed frustration with the current minimum wage.
“It's too low right now because by the time that I pay for groceries, it leaves me little to no money … so having an increase to would greatly help.”
However, St Denis views the increase as a temporary aid rather than a long-term solution.
“I don’t see this as a permanent solution, but it will act as a short-term stop gap to help me afford groceries and just rent month to month.”