Are you getting a raise tomorrow? Minimum wage in B.C. going up again

KELOWNA – With B.C.’s annual minimum wage increase set to kick in tomorrow, June 1, those on the lowest end of the pay scale will be getting a whopping 9.5 per cent increase.

That looks huge, especially when compared to the average weekly wage declining in B.C. in April by 0.9 per cent, but when you add 9.5 per cent to the current pay rate of $12.65 per hour, that works out to $48 for a 40-hour work week, before taxes and deductions.

The new rate will be $13.85 per hour, an increase of $1.20 per hour.

The B.C. government started bringing minimum wages up last year and has pledged to break the $15 level by June 1, 2021.

Someone working 40 hours per week under the new rate will make about $28,000 a year, an increase of around $2,500 before taxes and other deductions.

Rates also go up tomorrow for liquor servers (11.4 per cent to $12.70 per hour) and there are increases for a couple of other job classifications.

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