Ontario increases minimum wage to $17.20 per hour: Key details explained

Ontario’s minimum wage increase took effect on October 1, rising from $16.55 to $17.20 per hour, making it the second highest in Canada, just behind British Columbia. This adjustment aligns with the province's annual inflation review, and Labour M...

By ET Online | Oct 01, 2024, 11.03 AM IST

Ontario’s minimum wage increase took effect on October 1. As of today, the general minimum wage for most employees in the province will rise from $16.55 to $17.20 per hour.

The boost in minimum wage comes in the backdrop of Ontario’s annual inflation adjustment.

Ontario’s minimum wage has become the second highest of all the Canadian provinces only behind British Columbia’s $17.40 per hour.

Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini announced the hike in March to give businesses “certainty and predictability” by sharing news of the increase ahead of time.

The government said a worker making the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week would see an annual pay increase of roughly $1,355. It added 935,600 workers were earning at or below $17.20 per hour in 2023.

Is Ontario’s minimum wage enough?

For workers in the Greater Toronto Area, they would need to earn $25.05 an hour to make ends meet, according to a Toronto Star report that quotes figures published in the Ontario Living Wage Network last November. "That means minimum wage workers in the GTA — even after this current inflationary increase to the minimum wage — would need a 46 per cent wage boost to meet the living wage from last year. "

A separate report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in July 2023 found that workers would need to earn $33.60 an hour to afford a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto — nearly double the newly increased minimum wage.

How much should you be earning to be eligible for a work visa?

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The salary threshold for foreign workers varies significantly across different countries, reflecting each nation's economic conditions, labor market needs, and immigration policies. Here are some salary thresholds for foreign workers in various countries.

Note: These thresholds are subject to change based on economic conditions, policy updates, and labor market needs.