The minimum wages in the three Maritime provinces rose on Friday, though they still fall short of what’s considered a living wage.
In Nova Scotia, the minimum wage went up by 40 cents to $13.35 an hour. The province has previously announced it intends to raise the wage to $13.60 in October and then to $15 an hour by April 2024.
New Brunswick’s minimum wage went up by a dollar to $12.75 an hour, meaning the province no longer has the lowest minimum wage in Canada. That title now belongs to Saskatchewan.
In October, the wage in New Brunswick is expected to increase by another dollar to $13.75.
And as of Friday, Prince Edward Island has the highest minimum wage of the three Maritime provinces at $13.70 an hour — a 70-cent increase.
Not a living wage
Unaffordability has become an increasingly hot-button topic as the cost of living continues to rise sharply across the country, while wages remain largely stagnant.
According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Nova Scotia’s living wage — which is what a person would need to earn to support their family and pay for all basic necessities — ranges between $18.45 in Cape Breton and $22.05 in Halifax.
In a statement, the labour rights group Justice For Workers said that even though Nova Scotia is on track for a $15 minimum wage, it’s “not even enough to keep up” with inflation — which reached a 30-year high of 5.7 per cent in February.
“Simply keeping up with inflation would require a $13.69 minimum wage, meaning that the province’s lowest paid workers are losing purchasing power, even with their raise,” the statement said.
“We know that we need substantial wage increases to lift (Nova Scotia’s) lowest paid workers out of poverty. We are pushing for a $20 (minimum) wage, 10 paid sick days and greater rights at work.”
In New Brunswick, the Human Development Council estimates the living wage to be $20.21 in Fredericton, $19.75 in Saint John, $18.65 in Moncton and $17.50 in Bathurst.
“From coast to coast, it is increasingly costly for individuals and families to pay for daily necessities like shelter, food, child care, clothing, and more. This reality is especially burdensome for people living in poverty, including low-wage workers,” the council said in its 2021 report.
“Living wage advocates recognize that it is not enough to merely make ends meet. Instead, they believe people should be paid wages that sustain them, support their overall well-being, and encourage active community involvement.”
While P.E.I. now has the highest minimum wage of the Maritimes, it still falls short of the living wage, which the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives estimated to be $19.30 per hour in Charlottetown in 2020.
Here are the current minimum wages across Canada, from lowest to highest:
- Saskatchewan: $11.81 per hour as of October 2021.
- Manitoba: $11.95 per hour as of October 2021.
- New Brunswick: $12.75 per hour as of April 2022.
- Newfoundland and Labrador: $13.20 per hour as of April 2022.
- Nova Scotia: $13.35 per hour as of April 2022.
- Quebec: $13.50 per hour as of May 2021, increasing to $14.25 next month.
- Prince Edward Island: $13.70 per hour as of April 2022.
- Alberta: $15 as of October 2018.
- Ontario: $15 as of January 2022.
- Northwest Territories: $15.20 as of September 2021.
- British Columbia: $15.20 as of June 2021, increasing to $15.65 in June 2022.
- Yukon: $15.70 per hour as of April 2022.
- Nunavut: $16 per hour as of April 2020.
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