Should the minimum wage increase, 78 per cent of local businesses polled in a survey felt that it would have no effect on their business.
Those were the numbers released following a Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce survey of its members.
The B.C. Federation of Labour is leading a campaign to raise the minimum wage from $8 to $10. The wage has not changed since 2001 and is currently the lowest in all of Canada.
Seventeen per cent, however, felt there would be some negative effect if the minimum wage was to rise from its current $8 an hour, while another five per cent of those respondents felt it would have an extreme negative effect on their business.
Eighty-seven local businesses responded to the survey.
One of the concerns the survey revealed was that a rise in the minimum wage would result in a trickle down effect, such as a business being able to have fewer staff and hours.
One possible positive result mentioned was that this may create more disposable income for workers which could then translate into more money to spend at local businesses.
The survery was done as part of the Chamber’s involvement with the provincial government in studying raising the minimum wage.