By Karen Doradea
April 1, 2020
It can be hard to make a consistent living on minimum wage earnings at the best of times. But there is some sort of improvement coming, even if it’s pretty small. The provincial government is raising the Ontario minimum wage on October 1 for the first time since January 2018.
On October 1, 2020, the minimum amount a worker has to be paid is rising by 25 cents per hour, per the government’s website.
That will be the first increase in nearly two years, and will roughly represent a $2-per-day climb in earnings for provincial minimum- and student-wage earners.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development told Narcity in an email: “This change was long-planned, fulfilling a commitment made by the government in 2018 to tie the minimum wage to inflation.
“These steady, predictable increases offer businesses certainty, allowing them to plan, grow and create more jobs. Our province’s workers and employers deserve a minimum wage determined by economics, not politics.”
According to Ministry data, the rate has risen 20% over the last three years while inflation has only climbed 6%.
So, Ontario’s current $14 minimum wage will now be $14.25 as of October 2020.