B.C.'s minimum wage increase won't help hundreds of thousands of workers make ends meet. Our new research shows that one-third of B.C. employees earn less than the living wage in their community — that's more than 775,000 people.
Despite the June 1 increase of 40 cents to $18.25 per hour, a large gap remains between the minimum wage and living wages in communities across the province. The new minimum wage is $3.30 less than the lowest living wage in B.C. in Grand Forks ($21.55), $9.60 less than Metro Vancouver ($27.85), and $11.35 less than B.C.'s highest living wage in Whistler ($29.60).
The living wage is the hourly rate a full-time worker needs for a modest lifestyle to cover essential expenses, avoid chronic stress and participate in the social, civic and cultural life of their community. It means living without many of the comforts or extras many take for granted.
Too many workers continue to earn less than it costs to live in our province. It's not a question of individual effort, but of a widening gap between what jobs pay and what it costs to live in B.C. Even with the latest increase, the minimum wage falls far short of what people need to cover basic expenses and to live with dignity.
People who don't earn a living wage face impossible tradeoffs — buy groceries or heat the house, keep up with bills or pay the rent on time. It often means working long hours, sometimes at multiple jobs, just to pay for necessities.
In Metro, the gap between wages and the cost of living is especially acute. Over half-a-million people — 35 per cent of the region's employees — earn less than the region's living wage of $27.85 per hour.
It's often assumed that young workers earn low wages, but the vast majority of people earning less than $27.85 per hour in Metro are 25 or older — 71 per cent.
Recent regional data show that households spend an average of $41,000 per year on housing and transportation — roughly 36 per cent of their income. For renters, this share is often higher, leaving limited income for food, child care and other essentials. With such a large portion of income committed to basic costs — and rising faster than wages — many workers earning less than a living wage wonder if they can continue to live in the region.
The average asking rent for vacant units in Metro was 20 per cent higher than the average rent of occupied units in October 2025, according to the CMHC rental market survey.
Hundreds of thousands of workers struggle to make ends meet in every part of the province. Closing the gap between their earnings and their community's living wage is key to addressing the affordability crisis that has pushed many household budgets to the breaking point.
And while rents in many large B.C. cities have fallen from their stratospheric highs of 2022, they remain very high compared with most workers' wages, and renters continue to face large rent increases when they move. Food and transportation costs are projected to increase this year, driven by high oil and fertilizer prices because of the war in Iran.
Our analysis reveals substantial wage inequalities based on gender and race with women and racialized workers more likely to earn less than the living wage than men and workers who are Caucasian in B.C. Nearly half of racialized women working in Metro earn less than the region's living wage.
Closing the gap between the minimum and the living wages across the province is key to addressing the affordability crisis and we call on all levels of government to urgently prioritize it.
