Victoria is increasing the minimum wage in two stages to reflect the province’s overall economic growth, according to Premier Christy Clark.
Last year, government announced a policy to index the minimum wage to British Columbia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI). Based on British Columbia’s 2015 CPI, the minimum wage this year would increase by 10 cents per hour. With British Columbia expected to lead the country in economic growth this year and next, the government has decided there is room for an adjustment to the minimum wage rate beyond B.C.’s CPI.
The first increase will be 40 cents and bring the minimum wage rate to $10.85 per hour, effective Sept. 15, 2016. This new rate includes the 10 cents scheduled for the 2015 CPI, plus an additional 30 cents.
A second increase of 30 cents plus an amount based on the 2016 CPI (estimated to be 10 cents) will bring the minimum wage rate to $11.25, effective Sept. 15, 2017. The 2016 CPI will be available from Statistics Canada by March 2017.
Victoria is also going to reduce the small business tax rate by 40 per cent by 2017-18. This would mean a small business that is incorporated with $100,000 in active business income would have its taxes go from $2,500 to $1,500, savings of $1,000 annually.