Study
| EST. READ TIME 1 MIN.The Economic Effects of Increasing British Columbia's Minimum Wage
Minimum wages have long been the subject of considerable attention and debate. The controversy surrounding minimum wages arises from the tension between well-intentioned efforts to increase incomes for lower-income workers and the significant negative economic costs associated with increasing minimum wages. This controversy is also fuelled by a general misunderstanding of what kinds of workers actually earn the minimum wage.
The purpose of this study is to provide British Columbians, and indeed all Canadians, with an up-to-date account of these realities and other economic costs of the minimum wage. The study also aims to empirically assess the employment losses associated with increasing the minimum wage in British Columbia. Together, these analyses will help inform the public and policy makers about the impacts of increasing minimum wages.
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Keith Godin
Keith Godin is a former Fraser Institute Senior Policy Analyst who published many studies on a range of policy issuesincluding entrepreneurship, labour regulation, labour market performance, taxation, and investment. His publications include: Crowding Out Private Equity: Canadian Evidence (2007), The Economic Costs of Capital Gains Taxes (2007), Measuring Labour Markets in Canada and the United States (2007), and Canadian Provincial Investment Climate Report: 2007 Edition (2007). He has also written shorter studies on fiscal policy and government failure as well as commentaries in newspapers across the country. Mr. Godin holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Simon Fraser University. His thesis focused on entrepreneurship and venture capital.… Read more -
Niels Veldhuis
President, Fraser Institute
Niels Veldhuis serves as President of the Fraser Institute, Canada’s most influential think tank.In his over 20-plus-year career in publicpolicy, Niels has authored six books and more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on a wide range of economic topics. In 2011, he was awarded (along with his co-authors) the prestigious Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for the best-selling book, The Canadian Century.Highly regarded for his opinions and perspectives on major economic and social issues, Niels appears regularly in the media across Canada and the United States. He has written hundreds of commentaries that have appeared in over 50 newspapers, including the Globe and Mail, Wall Street Journal, National Post, and The Economist.Known for his ability to explain matters of economics and government policy in a down-to-earth and easily understood manner, Niels travels widely across North America. His speaking engagements extend to diverse audiences, including business groups, corporate gatherings, community organizations, and students.Niels has had the privilege of sharing the stage and moderating discussions with prominent business and political leaders from around the world. Notable individuals include Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and BC Premier Gordon Campbell. He has also moderated discussions with distinguished Canadian journalists such as Chantal Herbert, Andrew Coyne, and Rex Murphy, as well as diplomats such as Canada’s Ambassador to China and Israel’s Ambassador to Canada. Niels moderated a discussion between United States Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in 2011 and has facilitated conversations with impactful authors like Mosab Hassan Yousef (author of "Son of Hamas") and Lord Conrad Black.Niels Veldhuis is an alumnus of Simon Fraser University, was one of Vancouver’s Top 40 under 40 by Business in Vancouver in 2010, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).… Read more