Squamish鈥檚 living wage for 2024 is $26.76.
That鈥檚 according to new calculations from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office and Living Wage BC.
The living wage is meant to be what a two-parent family working full-time and renting a three-bedroom apartment needs each to support a family of four鈥攅xcluding costs like credit card bills, loans or savings for children鈥檚 education.
撸奶社区is sixth on the list of 25 communities for highest living wage, well behind Whistler, which tops the list at $28.09.
鈥淭he reason is housing costs,鈥� said Anastasia French, Living Wage BC provincial manager.
It鈥檚 hard to come up with an accurate average cost of rent, but looking at census data and information from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the report used a shelter cost of $3,000, which is meant to include utilities, rent and tenant鈥檚 insurance, she said.
But it鈥檚 not all doom and gloom.
鈥淚 see some potential hope on the horizon for next year,鈥� French said.
They鈥檝e observed listing prices going down slightly as well as more units being constructed.
(The report lists the increase in living wage in 撸奶社区from 2023 as 6.49%鈥攖he fourth highest increase on the list. But that鈥檚 due to changing the source for the cost of rent.)
In the meantime, though, the goal is to provide a wage employers can reference in various communities when setting a wage.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a high living wage, but the vast majority of living wage employers in B.C. are small businesses,鈥� French added. 鈥淭he reason for that is business owners know their staff. They want to make sure their staff isn鈥檛 struggling to pay for rent or food.鈥�
There are more than 450 certified living wage employers across the province. But still, in Metro Vancouver (statistics aren鈥檛 available for Squamish), 37 % of of paid employees earn less than the living wage.
鈥淣ot surprisingly, we know systemic issues [exist] in society, women and racialized workers are more likely to earn less than a living wage,鈥� French said.
Going forward, the goal is for the report to include more categories like the living wage needed for different family types.
A single parent, for example, would need to earn about $29 an hour in 撸奶社区and a single person without kids $26.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to do more work on that next year,鈥� French said.
2024 Living wage rates across B.C.:
- Clayoquot Sound $27.42
- Columbia Valley $22.90
- Comox Valley $24.36
- Cowichan Valley $25.71
- Daajing Giids $26.89
- Dawson Creek $21.55
- Fraser Valley $23.23
- Golden $26.96
- Grand Forks $20.81
- Kamloops $23.69
- Kelowna $25.77
- Metro Vancouver $27.05
- Nanaimo $23.79
- Nelson $21.82
- Penticton $24.93
- Port Hardy $24.88
- Powell River $26.49
- Prince George $22.93
- Revelstoke $25.50
- Salt Spring Island $26.25
- 撸奶社区$26.76
- Sunshine Coast $26.42
- Trail $22.85
- Greater Victoria $26.78
- Whistler $28.09
Editor's note: This story has been modified since it was first published, to include the word "each" in reference to the wage needed for two adults in a family.
