Starting this weekend, Ontario’s lowest-paid workers will get a pay increase. As of October 1st, minimum wage will rise from $15.50 to $16.55 per hour.
In a statement, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini said, “This 6.8 per cent raise means up to $2,200 more in workers’ pockets every year and brings Ontario to one of the highest minimum wages in the country. Our government is continuing to deliver steady and predictable annual increases, helping families offset the rising cost of living while also providing certainty to businesses by announcing this increase six months in advance.”
The hike comes as part of the government’s Working for Workers Acts that has included:
- Increasing health and safety fines
- New penalties for unfair or discriminatory treatment of immigrants or temporary foreign workers
- Requiring women’s-only washrooms on construction sites and properly fitting protective equipment
- Expanded cancer coverage for firefighters
- Job-protected leave for military reservists
Students will begin earning $15.60 – up from the current $14.60. This applies to individuals under 18 who work 28 hours per week or less when school is in session or work during a school break or summer vacation.
However, advocates say that’s not nearly enough. According to a November 2022 report by the Ontario Living Wage Network, a living wage in Ontario is around $20 per hour. Last year, the Daily Bread Food Bank released a report that found a $1 increase in the minimum wage would reduce annual Toronto food bank visits by nearly 37,000.
So how does Ontario’s minimum wage weigh up against other provinces?
Federally regulated industries: The federal minimum wage is currently $16.65 per hour.
Alberta: $15.00 per hour. For students under 18, the minimum wage is $13.00 for the first 28 hours they work in a week. Beyond 28 hours, the student must be paid $15 per hour.
British Columbia: $15.65 per hour.
Manitoba: $14.15 per hour. The minimum wage will increase to $15.30 on October 1,
New Brunswick: $14.75 per hour.
Newfoundland and Labrador: $14.50 per hour. The minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour as of October 1, 2023.
Northwest Territories: $16.05 per hour.
Nova Scotia: $14.50 per hour. The minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour as of October 1, 2023.
Nunavut: $16.00 per hour.
Prince Edward Island: $14.50 per hour.
Quebec: $15.25 per hour.
Saskatchewan: $13.00 per hour.
Yukon: $16.77 per hour.
SOURCE: THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS (CFIB)
