Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government raised the general minimum wage to $15 per hour on Jan. 1. The special minimum wages for students under 18, homeworkers and hunting, fishing and wilderness guides have also increased.
“As the cost of living continues to rise, our government will never stop working for workers, including by putting more money into their pockets,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Ontario’s workers deserve a raise, and today we’re delivering one. There’s no better way to support hard-working Ontarians right now than raising the minimum wage.”
As of Jan. 1, 2022, the following wages are in place in Ontario:
- General minimum wage workers are now earning $15.00 per hour, a raise from $14.35.
- Liquor servers have received a pay raise from $12.55 to $15.00 per hour.
- 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, had their pay raised from $13.50 to $14.10 per hour.
- Homeworkers (those who do paid work out of their own homes for employers) had their pay raised from $15.80 to $16.50 per hour.
- Hunting, fishing and wilderness guides had their pay raised from $71.75 to $75.00 when working less than five consecutive hours in a day, and $143.55 to $150.05 when working five or more hours in a day.
“As we usher in a new year, our government is making unprecedented changes to rebalance the scales and put more workers in the driver’s seat,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
A full-time worker making the general minimum wage will see their annual earnings increase by $1,350 in 2022. From January-November 2021, there were 767,300 workers at or below the proposed general minimum wage of $15 in Ontario (StatsCan Labour Force Survey, 2021).
Nearly 37 per cent of workers at or below the new general minimum wage of $15 per hour are in retail trade and almost 24 per cent are in accommodation and food services.
Ontario’s new general minimum wage is one of the highest in the country. For example, Quebec has a general minimum wage of $13.50 an hour, Manitoba has a general minimum wage of $11.95 per hour, and Nova Scotia has a general minimum wage of $12.95 an hour.