Okanagan workers need $25/hour to make ends meet

Many workers in Kelowna and Penticton aren’t earning enough money to cover basic living expenses, according to a new study.

The so-called ‘Living Wage’ - the amount deemed sufficient by BC Policy Solutions to cover essential expenses - is significantly above the minimum wage in both Okanagan cities.

In Penticton, the Living Wage has been calculated at $25.10 an hour, which is $7.25 more per hour than the minimum wage.

In Kelowna, the living wage was calculated to be $25.95 per hour, up 0.7 per cent from last year.

“The living wage is the hourly rate that a full-time worker must earn to cover essential expenses and it supports a basic, decent standard of living in a specific community without many of the comforts or extras that many take for granted,” states a release from BC Policy Sol