The province's Labour Department issued a statement Wednesday saying the formula used to increase the wage is based on matching last year's consumer price index and adding one percentage point. As well, the department said an additional increase coming this fall is in response to heightened concerns about the rising cost of living.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives welcomed the increases, but the think tank said the cost of living is outpacing those increases. The organization describes a living wage as the take-home pay that a person needs to cover rent, clothing, shelter, transportation, health care and basic household expenses.
Meanwhile, the government noted that 7. As well, the data show that the majority of those workers were holding down full-time, permanent positions, and 82 per cent of them were not students. The centre says the province could also help lower the cost of living by expanding access to universal public services and increasing funding for affordable housing, public transportation, post-secondary education and food security.
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