Good news, folks! Just one month after Ontario’s minimum wage increased to $14.35 an hour, it looks like the province plans to hike hourly wages even more this January.
The premier announced on Tuesday that the hike will bring Ontario’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, matching Alberta’s. Servers and bartenders will also reportedly be paid more per hour as part of this change.
This planned increase was actually put forward by former premier Kathleen Wynne, but Ford’s government scrapped the idea back in 2018. Looks like he’s changing his tune now, though.
At $15 an hour, Ontario would be among the provinces and territories with the highest minimum wage rates. In British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon, employees earn a minimum of $15.20 per hour. The region with the highest minimum wage is Nunavut at $16 per hour.
Recent Posts
These are the most under and overvalued cities in Canada according to a new report
Ontario’s November forecast says a frigid ‘flip flop’ is on its way
View this post on Instagram
On the lower end of the scale are Manitoba and New Brunswick, where the wage is less than $12 per hour. Many provinces evaluate their minimum wage annually based on the inflation rate.
It’s not just provinces that are doing the work to improve pay for minimum wage earners. Major chains like Starbucks are boosting compensation to combat unprecedented staff shortages right now.
Not only is Starbucks going to pay their employees a dollar more than their province’s minimum wage, being with the company for one year will also get employees a 6 to 10-cent raise. These wage boosts will go into effect in January and will reportedly impact roughly 20,000 employees.
This will allow baristas to make anywhere from $13 and $20.45, depending on their location and how long they’ve been with the company, and shift managers could earn anywhere from $15.85 to $24.95 an hour.
Ford is set to announce the minimum wage hike on Tuesday, so it’s only a matter of time before we get the official confirmation!
