The hourly income needed to meet basic living costs in both Daajing Giids and Prince Rupert is slightly below the provincial average, according to a new report.
A recent study by Living Wage BC surveyed 27 B.C. communities to find what hourly wage would be sustainable for living in the area. The median livable wage across the province is $25.50 with local communities ranging between $21.55 and $29.60.
Daajing Giids came in 20 cents below average while Prince Rupert was 60 cents below the provincial average. Prince Rupert was a new addition to the list this year so they didn’t have a recorded change from last year.
Daajing Giids, however, saw the only decrease in the province. Its living wage dropped nearly six per cent compared to 2024.
A livable wage is what a full-time employee needs to make per hour to maintain financial security in the community they reside in. The wage is calculated by assessing the average cost of basic human needs such as food and housing costs. The wage also assesses the cost of cultural and community expenses in a given community.
“The best way to help bridge the gap between the minimum wage and the livable wage is to increase the minimum wage,” said Living Wage BC manager Anastasia French.
“What we were asking is for the government to close the gap between the minimum wage and the living wage. We definitely know that it’s not realistic to ask for the minimum wage to go up to $25 overnight, so we’d like it to maybe start at $20 an hour. We feel that’s a gradual increase, while at the same time taking action on affordability to build more affordable housing and to help lower food prices.”
