Making ends meet and working well

Low-income individuals

• 24% of persons are below the after-tax low income measure (2016) 
  Source: Statistics Canada, Income Tax Returns, accessed through Community Data Program 
  • Canada does not have an official poverty rate, but has a number of calculations to identify low-income individuals. The Low Income Measure (LIM) is calculated at half of the national median income, adjusted for family size. In 2018, Statistics Canada revised the methodology used to adjust income for family size from the T1 Family File (income tax returns) database. Low income rates reported from income tax returns have been restated in 2018 to account for the new calculation, which has generally led to an increase in the low income rate compared to what was reported previously.
• 35% of Indigenous persons are below the after‑tax low income measure (2015)
  Source: Long-Form Census/National Household Survey (Statistics Canada) , Income Tax Returns, accessed through Community Data Program  

Median income

• Median personal income is $31,710 (2015)
  Source: Statistics Canada,Income Tax Returns, accessed through Community Data Program 

Income Distribution

• 29% of after‑tax income goes to the top 10% of earners (2015)
  Source: Statistics Canada, Income Tax Returns, accessed through Community Data Program 

Working Poor

• 10% of persons 18-64 with employment income, excluding students and dependents, are below the after-tax low income measure (2015)
  Source: Statistics Canada, Income Tax Returns, accessed through Community Data Program 

Living Wage

• Living wage in Metro Vancouver is $20.91/hour (2018)
  Source: Living Wage for Families Campaign

Job quality

• 6% rate of persons unemployed (2016)
• 10% rate of Indigenous persons unemployed (2016)
• 68% labour force participation rate (2016)
• 66% labour force participation rate for Indigenous persons (2016)
  Source: Long-Form Census/National Household Survey (Statistics Canada) 

1. Educate the Leadership Table and City of Vancouver staff on the Living Wage Employer certification process. Assess the steps which need to be taken to implement a Living Wage policy at the City of Vancouver.
   • Results: We will ensure that the City of Vancouver and others are better positioned to consider becoming certified living wage employers.
2. Encourage the development and/or enhancement of social procurement frameworks among the Leadership Table members. Create a formal social procurement framework to guide the City of Vancouver's procurement practices. Develop, implement and monitor community benefit agreement (CBA) policy for large developments to reduce barriers to employment and enhance local purchasing.
   • Results: We will develop a strategic framework that provides direction for social procurement and community benefit agreements to advance economic, environmental and social development.
3. Create a network of services to provide social entrepreneurs with capacity-building opportunities; connect them with existing physical spaces to test new ideas and business models; and explore opportunities to showcase these in public using residual or under-used spaces.
   • Results: We will develop opportunities for empowerment and economic independence among residents, particularly those facing barriers to traditional employment
4. Determine how the City and local communities can, through proactive policies and practices, help reduce poverty and drive action at other levels of government, and advance the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.
   • Results: We will improve and revise City activities and policies in order to help address conditions of poverty, and make focused advocacy efforts to increase effectiveness of poverty strategy provincially and nationally.

Certified as a living wage employer by the Living Wage for Families Campaign

The City, Park Board, and Vancouver Police Department have taken steps to reduce inequity by becoming living wage employers. Adopting a living wage policy demonstrates the City's commitment to support healthy, thriving communities, and help individuals and families make ends meet.

As a certified living wage employer, we are committed to paying direct employees and contracted services employees a living wage.

The living wage rate is calculated annually by the Living Wage for Families Campaign (LWFC) External website, opens in new tab and is based on regional cost of living.

Vancouver is the largest City in Canada to commit to a living wage.

The Women's Summer Fair and Flee Market ensures vocational and income generating opportunities for women residents in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

The Downtown Eastside Women's Centre's Women's Summer Fair and Flee Market was an opportunity for women in the community to engage in street based economies within a safe, respectful environment.

This project ensured vocational and income generating opportunities for women residents in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, as well as being a model for re-distributing and repurposing goods and materials that would be otherwise destines for the landfill.

As part of the project, the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre worked to engage other Women's organizations including, Battered Women's Support Services, Atira, and WISH in providing specific training for women. Pacific Association of First Nations Women provided connection to facilitators to assist in teaching vendors crafting skills to make items to sell at the market. The UBC Medicine Collective partnered with The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre to provide a series of workshops to vendors including Indigenous traditional salve making, tea harvesting and making, traditional oil making. These items were sold at the market.

The Women’s Summer Fair and Flee Market included over 130 participants, 43 of whom were vendors, and 90 women were either employed by the market, volunteered or took part skills development and employment training. Nearly 5000 hours of training were held with peer workers, vendors, volunteers, and skills-development participants.

New economic strategy for the Downtown Eastside aims to harness employment opportunities and reduce poverty

City staff and the Exchange Inner City Committee, which is made up of 35 community groups, businesses, and other local stakeholders, have created a strategy that seeks to improve the lives of low income residents.