Five Provinces Implement New Minimum Wage on October 1, 2025
Starting on October 1, 2025, five provinces raise the minimum wage in line with inflation and a higher cost of living. Such a change is important for employers, human resources teams, and legal advisors to understand wage compliance associated with new minimum rates for all kinds of employees, including full-time, part-time, and casual.
Ontario
Generally, the minimum wage in Ontario will go up by $0.40 to $17.60 per hour, reflecting, roughly, a 2.4% increase in the provincial Consumer Price Index. It is intended to cover most employees, regardless of whether their income is hourly, salary, commission, or some other basis. Further categories would also experience wage increases, like an increase from $16.20 per hour to $16.60 per hour for students aged under 18 years who work for 28 hours or less per week. The wage for hunting, fishing, and wilderness guide has risen from $86.00 to $88.05 per day for less than five clock hours of work and increases from $172.05 to $176.15 per day for five or more hours of work. For homeworkers, the wage rises from $18.90 to $19.35 per hour.
Manitoba
The minimum hourly wage in Manitoba will rise from $15.80 to $16.00. The increase corresponds to the 2024 inflation rate of 1.1 percent and to the nearest five cents. This means an increase that would benefit daily to low-income and entry-level workers.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia will raise its hourly minimum wage from $15.70 to $16.50 for the second time within the year 2025. Usually, wages are modified every year on April 1 by increasing the amount by 1% of CPI from the previous year’s amount. This addition is a response on October 1 to the issues raised concerning the steep rises in the cost of living.
Prince Edward Island
The future increase is $0.50, putting minimum wages in Prince Edward Island from $16.00 to $16.50 per hour. The Employment Standards Board of the province conducts an annual review of its economic and social standards for the establishment of a uniform minimum wage. The 2025 value will be applicable to all employees across the board, resulting in a simple and clear wage structure.
Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan, the new minimum wage is raised from $15.00 to $15.35. This is achieved using a combined indexation formula, which equally weighs the Consumer Price Index and the average hourly wage in the province. This formula ensures that the salaries are increased according to inflation and income trends.
What employers stand to consider
Starting October 1, 2025, employers will have to change the rates in their payroll systems as well as offer letters, notices around the workplace, and schedules reflecting the change. It will be essential to ensure that the different rates applicable to special categories—like students, homeworkers, and guides—are properly reflected. All calculations on overtime, holidays, and allowances should also be changed accordingly and in good time to align with and reflect the new hourly rate.
What employees should expect
Minimum hourly rates for employees would go up, thus having an effect on improving their net pay overall. If you belong to a special category, go check with the source of your information on your new rate and check out your payslip to see it has been correctly applied. Any issues here should go directly to your HR or payroll team, so that corrections may happen in a timely manner.
Compliance and Further Preparation
Most of the time, specific roles under an industry will have their exceptions under the local government guidance, thus reexamining what local governments say about any of them might already do wonders for the organizations. Such proactive preparations would avert payroll errors along with penalties and back pay and instill confidence in employees.
