The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour called the new minimum wage an embarrassment, saying the rate is not enough to help families get through the coronavirus pandemic.

On Oct. 1, the province said, the minimum wage will increase by 25 cents, rising to $11.90 an hour from $11.65.

A living wage is calculated as the hourly rate at which a household can meet its basic needs once benefits are added and all deductions are subtracted.

Federal Green Party leadership candidate Glen Murray says he has a fully-funded plan to immediately start a Universal Basic Income program.

The report suggests such a move would help the world's poorest 2.7 billion people in 132 developing countries by allowing them to stay home, reducing the spread of the virus.

On Tuesday, the London Poverty Research Centre announced St. Vincent de Paul, Nexreg Compliance and Mobials as the latest to be certified.

"It's not keeping in place with inflation."

The London Poverty Research Centre says people in the city need an hourly wage of $16.20 to meet the minimum requirement of economic security.

The living wage per hour in Simcoe County for 2018 has been pegged at $18.01, with annual family expenses calculated at $73,545, a report presented to county council yesterday said.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the 2019 living wage for the region is $19.50, down $1.41 from last year, largely due to new provincial funding for childcare.