VANCOUVER — British Columbia will gradually hike its minimum wage to get to $15.20 by June 2021.
Premier John Horgan says the timeline is aimed at finding a balance between allowing businesses to predict their needs and giving hope to about 400,000 of the lowest-paid workers in the province.
The wage is currently $11.35 and will rise every June until 2021.
Horgan says B.C. is making other changes to help businesses such as eliminating the provincial sales tax on electricity by 2019.
The government established a commission last October to help with the timing of the minimum wage increase, and it recommended predictable and regular hikes.
It said the hourly wage rate could be raised to $15.40 an hour by 2021, depending on economic conditions.