Ontario will increase minimum wage to $15 in 2022
Premier Doug Ford announced this morning that the Government of Ontario will raise the province’s minimum wage to $15 an hour on January 1, 2022. Ford made the announcement at a Unifor meeting hall in Milton, Ontario.
“Workers deserve to have more money in their pockets,” Ford said. He also mentioned that this will benefit around 760,000 people across the province.
During the meeting, a reporter asked him if he could live on $15 per hour, Ford admitted it’s not enough. “It’s a start,” he said. It is important to note that on October 1st, 2021, Ontario increased the general minimum wage by only 10 cents. This brought the rate to $14.35 an hour.
According to the CBC, the government will also increase the $12.55 minimum wage for workers who serve alcohol and receive tips to $15. In addition to this increase, the minimum wage will increase every October according to the inflation rate.
General and specialized minimum wage rates in Ontario: 2020 – 2021
| Minimum wage rate | Rates from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021 | Rates from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022 |
| General minimum wage | $14.25 per hour | $14.35 per hour |
| Student minimum wage | $13.40 per hour | $13.50 per hour |
| Liquor servers minimum wage | $12.45 per hour | $12.55 per hour |
| Hunting and fishing guides minimum wage | $71.30: Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day
$142.60: Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
$71.75: Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day
$143.55: Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
| Homeworkers wage | $15.70 per hour | $15.80 per hour |
| Wilderness guides minimum wage | $71.30: Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day
$142.60: Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
$71.75: Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day $143.55: Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
The opposition criticizes the government
Ontario’s NDP issued a news release before Ford’s news conference saying the government should do more.
“… $15 an hour isn’t nearly enough anymore. Workers need a bare minimum of $17 an hour to cover the cost of living. New Democrats have never believed in Doug Ford’s low-wage policies for Ontario’s working people — we believe all working people should have a chance to build a decent life here.”
Minimum wage in other provinces
Three provinces increased their minimum wage in October 2021: Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan.
- Manitoba increased the minimum wage by only 5 cents from $11.90 to $11.95 per hour. This increase will be equal among all the employees in the province.
- Employees in Newfoundland and Labrador also had a 25 cents raise in their minimum wage. Residents in the province will now be legally entitled to get $12.75 per hour for minimum wage work.
- Saskatchewan benefited the most from the increase in the minimum wage. The province increased the minimum wage by 36 cents. This brings the new rate to $11.81 per hour.
Currently, Nunavut has the highest minimum wage rate in the country at $16 per hour, in effect since April 1, 2020.
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