6.8% pay hike to take effect October 1, 2023
The Ontario government announced on Friday (March 31) that it is increasing the minimum wage to CAD$16.55 an hour giving a 6.8% pay raise for low-income workers.
The increase is to take effect on October 1, 2023, building on the government’s steady and predictable increases every year to help families offset the rising cost of living. A worker making the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week will see an annual pay increase of nearly CAD$2,200.
There were 942,400 workers earning CAD$16.55 per hour or below in 2022, the majority of whom are women. “This latest increase is a fair and balanced approach that means more money in their pockets so they can support their families and continuing building a stronger Ontario for all of us,” explains Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton.
According to him, “under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is putting workers in the driver’s seat of their careers, and their lives.” This minimum wage increase builds on the government’s work to make Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family.
Most recently, the government introduced the Working for Workers Act, 2023, which will, if passed, provide ground-breaking protections for millions of workers in Ontario. With Ontario’s minimum wage increasing to CAD$16.55 in October, small business advocates are warning the province the wages could impact bottom lines, while others believe the increase isn’t enough to combat inflation.
Here is a list of the minimum wages in other jurisdictions across the country as of the same date:
Yukon – CAD$16.77
Federal – CAD$16.65
Ontario – CAD$16.55
Nunavut – CAD$16
British Columbia – CAD$15.65
Manitoba – CAD$15.30
Quebec – CAD$15.25
Northwest Territories – currently CAD$15.20, but set to rise on September 1 with inflation
Nova Scotia – CAD$15
Newfoundland and Labrador – CAD$15
Prince Edward Island – CAD$15
Alberta –CAD $15
New Brunswick – CAD$14.75
Saskatchewan –CAD $14
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