THUNDER BAY – Ontario is going to raise the minimum wage to $16.55 an hour starting from October 1, 2023. This will help low-income workers earn more money to support themselves and their families because the cost of living keeps getting higher every year. The new minimum wage is a 6.8% pay raise, which means people who work 40 hours a week will make an extra $2,200 each year.
There were almost a million workers who earned $16.55 per hour or less in 2022, and most of them were women. The government wants to make Ontario the best place to live, work, and raise a family. They also created a new law called the Working for Workers Act, 2023, to protect workers in Ontario.
The new minimum wage will be the highest of any province in Canada. Some other provinces have lower minimum wages, like Quebec at $14.25 an hour, British Columbia at $15.65 an hour, and Alberta at $15.00 an hour. The special minimum wage rates for students, homeworkers, and hunting, fishing and wilderness guides will also increase.
