Living Wage
Definition:
The living wage is the hourly amount that each of two working parents with two young children must earn to meet their basic expenses (including rent, child care, food and transportation) once government taxes, credits, deductions and subsidies are taken into account. It does not include debt repayment or savings for future plans.
Measurements and Limitations:
Living Wage for Families BC works with communities across BC to calculate their local living wage.
In a province as diverse as BC, communities differ when it comes to their cost of living. For example, while some communities may have lower housing or child care costs, others may have lower-cost public transit or easier access to goods and services.
No matter where they live, families should be able to afford a decent life. There are jobs that need to be done in every community, and therefore people need homes, services, and a good quality of life in every community. A regional calculation allows communities to identify policy advocacy that would address poverty in their community.
The Living Wage is calculated in partnership with CCPA-BC and published in their annual report “Working for a Living Wage: making paid work meet basic family needs“
THE 2022 LIVING WAGE FOR COMMUNITIES IN BC
Castlegar $20.54
Columbia Valley $21.85
Comox Valley $20.26
Cowichan Valley $23.53
Cranbrook $21.90
Dawson Creek $20.53
Fernie $23.58
Fraser Valley $18.98
Golden $25.56
Grand Forks $20.05
Greater Victoria $24.29
Haida Gwaii $25.87
Kamloops $19.14
Kelowna $22.88
Metro-Vancouver $24.08
Nanaimo $20.49
Nelson $20.83
Powell River $23.33
Prince George $21.19
Prince Rupert $22.69
Revelstoke $23.60
Trail $21.13
Source:
Living Wage in the Sustainable Development Goals
Click on the SDG to reveal more information
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Extreme poverty rates have been cut by more than half since 1990. While this is a remarkable achievement, one in five people in developing regions still live on less than $1.90 a day, and there are millions more who make little more than this daily amount, plus many people risk slipping back into poverty.
Poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making. Economic growth must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality.