Ontario’s minimum wage will be going up once again next fall.
The provincial government announced this morning the rate will rise to $16.55 an hour as of October first, a 6.8% increase from the current rate.
That is also 22 cents higher than what the Ontario Living Wage Network has deemed a living wage in Chatham-Kent, set at $16.33 an hour. The living wage is defined as “the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and participate in their community.”
A worker making the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week will see an annual pay increase of nearly $2,200. According to government figures, there were 942,400 workers earning $16.55 per hour or below in 2022, the majority of whom were women.
“This latest increase is a fair and balanced approach that means more money in their pockets so they can support their families and continuing building a stronger Ontario for all of us,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development in a news release.
The special minimum wage rates will also increase for students under the age of 18, who work 28 hours a week or less when school is in session or work during a school break or summer holidays, from $14.60 to $15.60 an hour. Those who do paid work for employers from their own homes will see their minimum wage rise from $17.05 to $18.20.
