The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is cautiously optimistic about the new minimum wage increase June 1st:
"We are certainly in support of fair wage. From a business standpoint, we just need to know what is coming so we can be making decisions and having certainty within our businesses".
President Nikki Csek says the $1.20 cent per hour increase will see wages go up to $13.85 per hour.
"As a business, you are looking at the increase causes and you are cognizant of....can you hire three people this summer or four people this summer? The wage increase is a factor in determining what your hiring model is going to look like."
The NDP plans on raising the minimum wage to $15.20 by 2021.
"When you see the shortening of hours and even the signs that say businesses will be closed for the day for staffing issues, those are the realities of the challenges we are facing in business," Csek added.