$20 Minimum Wage Proposal Sparks Debate in Quebec

Québec Solidaire is proposing a $20 minimum wage in Quebec to help low-income workers, but Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Leader Christine Fréchette warns that it would be a 'big blow' to the economy. However, researchers from the Institut de recherche et d'informations socioéconomiques (IRIS) argue that economic data does not support this claim.

Eve-Lyne Couturier, an IRIS researcher, stated that business representatives often claim raising wages for low earners would trigger inflationary wage-price spirals or economic instability, but her 2023 study with co-author Raphaël Langevin found no evidence of this. According to the study, Quebec's current minimum wage of $16.60 ranks fifth highest among Canadian provinces.

Pierre-Antoine Harvey, an assistant professor of industrial relations at the Université de Montréal, acknowledged that raising the baseline to $20 in a single year would be a 'big jump', but he said empirical research suggests it wouldn't lead to any upheaval. He noted that some studies show minimum wage increases drive up wages for those earning slightly more than the minimum.