Skip to main content

Minimum wage increases in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

Share

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

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks

Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.

Stay Connected