Québec Solidaire is advocating for a $20 minimum wage to alleviate financial strain on low-income workers facing high expenses. Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Leader Christine Fréchette has raised concerns, suggesting that a rapid wage hike could have negative repercussions across the wage scale and harm the economy.
However, according to Eve-Lyne Couturier from the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS), these worries are baseless. Couturier’s study, conducted in 2023 with co-author Raphaël Langevin, found no evidence to support the notion that raising wages for low earners triggers inflation or economic instability.
Currently, Quebec ranks as the fifth-highest province in terms of minimum wage at $16.60 per hour. When factoring in the federal minimum wage and the Northwest Territories, Quebec drops to ninth place nationwide. The Institut de la statistique du Québec reports that about 137,100 individuals, roughly 3% of the province’s salaried workforce, earn the minimum wage. Increasing the minimum wage to $20 per hour would directly benefit an estimated 250,000 to 260,000 Quebec residents earning between $16.60 and $20.
Pierre-Antoine Harvey, an assistant professor at the Université de Montréal, acknowledged that implementing a $20 minimum wage in a single year would be a significant change. However, he emphasized that research suggests such an increase would not lead to disruptions, with some studies indicating that it could positively impact wages for those earning slightly above the minimum.
Responding to criticisms on Radio-Canada, Québec Solidaire’s co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal emphasized the importance of enabling individuals to live with dignity. She highlighted that their proposal includes $330 million to support businesses in adjusting to the wage increase, stating that individuals should be able to cover their expenses and avoid falling into poverty while working.
