Prince George’s living wage has climbed to $22.09 per hour for 2023, marking an increase of 4.2 per cent from last year, the 2023 Living Wage Update report shows.
The living wage, calculated by Integris Credit Union, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office and Living Wage for Families BC, is the hourly rate that each of two parents working full-time must earn to support a family of four based on the actual costs of living in a particular community.
The 2023 Living Wage report shows that the Prince George living wage family has to spend over $399.69 more than last year for the same basket of goods.
While parents with young children in licensed childcare have benefitted from large fee reductions this year, the savings are entirely consumed by soaring prices in other areas.
Housing costs alone demand an added $340.54 per month from their budget, a spike of 19.3 per cent. Food, the second most expensive item in the living wage family budget, is an extra $69.05 per month, soaring by 6.1 per cent.
“Although inflation has dropped from last year’s historic highs, the cost of living across BC continues to increase rapidly,” says Iglika Ivanova, CCPA-BC senior economist and the report's lead author.
Rent and food prices in particular have risen sharply in communities across the province, driving increases in the local living wages.
In Metro Vancouver, the living wage is now $25.69 per hour; in Greater Victoria, the living wage is now $25.40, a 4.6 per cent increase from 2022, and in Kelowna it is $24.60, a 7.5 per cent increase.
There are nearly 400 certified Living Wage Employers across the province. However, many BC workers earn less than the living wage and face impossible choices: buy groceries or heat the house, keep up with bills or pay the rent on time.
“BC’s low-wage workers need a raise but the labour market alone can't resolve all economic insecurities,” said Ivanova. “Governments can and should do more to address the cost of living crisis that people are facing across the province.”
Anastasia French, provincial manager for Living Wage for Families BC, said in the last two years, the gap between the minimum wage and living wages in BC has grown significantly.
“In Metro Vancouver, this gap is now close to nine dollars per hour,” she said, also noting that the living wage calculation only allows for a modest lifestyle without extras many of us take for granted.
“The living wage lets workers meet their basic needs and have the time and money for an active and fulfilling family and personal life.”
