The push is on by labour and social groups and even some municipal governments to bring in a $20 per hour living wage.

This is not to be confused with the minimum wage individual provinces and territories require employers by law to pay workers .

A new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business analysed the impact a $20 per hour wage would have on small businesses.

Tyler Slobogian, a Senior policy analyst with the CFIB comments here.

“Within this report, we found that in Manitoba, mandating a $20 an hour living wage would cost the economy $2.7 billion and put over 23 thousand businesses at risk so it could be the last nail in the coffin for some of those.”

Slobogian said instead,  the CFIB is recommending all three levels of government support workers and small businesses by making sure rent, food and gas prices are affordable and stable.

For more on the report, catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 or go to cfib.ca.