A sharp spike in the region’s cost of living—primarily due to soaring housing costs and highlighting the region’s affordability crisis—has led Penticton’s living wage to rise to $24.93 per hour, a 3 per cent increase from last year. A strikingly large gap exists between the 2024 Penticton living wage and BC’s current minimum wage of $17.40 per hour.
The Living Wage BC report for 2024 has shed light on the ongoing struggles faced by people who work low-wage jobs in our province. The living wage is the hourly rate to ensure a worker can afford necessities, escape severe financial stress and be a part of their community. The living wage is not the same as the minimum wage, which is the legal minimum all employers must pay and often does not reflect the true expenses people face.
People who work for low wages face impossible choices—buy groceries or heat the house, keep up with bills or pay the rent on time. The result can be spiraling debt, constant anxiety and long-term health problems. In many cases it means working long hours, often at multiple jobs, just to pay for basic necessities. Parents end up having little time to spend with their family, much less to help their children with schoolwork or participate in community activities and we are all poorer for it.
However, the report also points out the significant difference that earning a living wage can make in the lives of low-wage workers. With a wage that reflects the true cost of living in their community, individuals can afford the necessities, support their families, and participate in their communities. The living wage is a crucial tool in ensuring that paid work results in a decent standard of living and allows individuals to lead fulfilling lives beyond simply struggling to get by.
The government’s efforts to provide financial relief through income-tested benefits are struggling to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of rent, leaving many individuals in a financial bind. As a result, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people turning to organizations like the Access Centre for assistance in making ends meet. This growing demand highlights the pressing need for more comprehensive solutions to address the affordability crisis and ensure that all individuals have the resources they need to thrive.
“I don’t know if it’s a bigger problem in Penticton than it is in other communities in the area,” Beckett said in an interview, “but I do know that when there’s a shortage of housing, of market housing, at various income levels, then prices go up and when prices go up, some people can’t afford to live.”
Beckett shared with the authors information from a preliminary report that will spell out how many units need to be built in the next 20 years or so.
“It’s a lot,” she said.
“Unless something changes and people stop moving to the Okanagan, it’s likely that it’ll be on the higher side. And that’s a significant chunk of housing that needs to be built, and on the market, ready for rental and purchase every year.”
“Hundreds of thousands of BC workers earn less than the living wage and face impossible choices like buy groceries or heat the house, keep up with bills or pay the rent on time.” says Anastasia French, Provincial Manager of Living Wage BC. “Racialized workers and women are disproportionately affected by low wages in a region where the cost of living keeps climbing.”
The living wage calculation is based on the needs of two-parent families with young children, but it is also meant to support all workers so that young adults are not discouraged from having children because of low wages and older workers have extra income as they age.
It is clear that implementing policies that support a living wage for all workers is not only the right thing to do, but it is also crucial for the economic and social well-being of our communities. The findings of the Living Wage BC report for 2024 serve as a reminder of the importance of valuing and supporting all workers in our society.
The living wage is a powerful tool to ensure paid work results in a decent standard of living and enables a life that is about more than a constant struggle to get by. For low-wage workers, earning a living wage is a game changer. It means freedom from constant financial stress and an opportunity to plan for the future.