Ontario is increasing the general minimum wage for the fourth consecutive year. On October 1st the general minimum wage will increase to $11.60 from the current $11.40.
Minimum wage has increased 11 times and almost 70% since 2004 when it was $6.85, and it’s only going up.
As a part of Ontario’s plan for Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs, minimum wage would again increase to $14 on January 1, 2018, and to $15 on January 1, 2019, which would then be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation.
Servers’ minimum wage will also increase to $10.10 from $9.90 and student minimum wage will increase from $10.70 to $10.90
Ontario’s plan would also ensure
- Part-time and temporary help agency workers are paid the same hourly wage as full-time workers
- Introduce paid sick days for every worker
- Enable at least three weeks’ vacation after five years with the same employer
- Step up enforcement of employment laws.
Some reports say with such a large increase in minimum wage, jobs will be lost all over Canada. TD Bank estimated over 90,000 part time jobs will be lost when minimum wage is increased to $15 in 2019, but we won’t know the exact numbers just yet.
