Minimum wage increases in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

The minimum wage increases in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Saturday.

Nova Scotia’s minimum hourly wage goes up to $14.50, from $13.60.

While in New Brunswick, the minimum wage will increase to $14.75 from $13.75.

The hourly minimum wage on Prince Edward Island remains at $14.50.

On Oct. 1, the minimum wage will increase to $15 in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

The New Brunswick government says the consumer price index influences any increases.

But Robert MacKay, a project manager with the New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice, says the increases still fall short of helping the most vulnerable.

“A living wage, to be able to get by and live a minimal and decent life is around $20 an hour, or a little higher now,” said MacKay.

Ian Lee, a business professor at Ottawa’s Carleton University, says increases will disproportionally affect small businesses.

“What we’re doing is giving almost an unfair advantage to large corporations because they can afford the minimum wage increase,” says Lee, in an interview with CTV News Channel. “Many small businesses can’t. They’re just hanging on by their fingernails.”

The hourly minimum wage in Newfoundland and Labrador also increased Saturday to $14.50, from $13.70, along with the federal minimum wage, which increased to $16.65 per hour, from $15.55.

With files from CTV’s Alyson Samson