Minimum wage set to rise in Ontario

Minimum wage workers in Ontario will see their pay increase in the fall.

Today, the Ontario government announced that the minimum wage will increase from $17.20 to $17.60 an hour, effective Oct. 1, 2025.

The annual wage increase is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index of 2.4 per cent. The province says the increase will bring Ontario’s minimum wage to the second-highest provincial rate in Canada.

“Our government will continue to have the backs of Ontario workers, investing in skills training and development and helping ensure that work pays,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, in a statement.

“Ontario’s minimum wage remains one of the highest in the country. Now more than ever, workers and businesses need fair, balanced and predictable wages.”

In a news release, the province said employees who work 40 hours a week will see an annual pay increase of up to $835.

About 36 per cent of workers at or below the wage of $17.60 per hour are in retail trade and 24 per cent are in accommodation and food services.

Over the past seven years, Ontario’s minimum wage has increased from $14 per hour in 2018 to more than $17 an hour as of today.