N.S. committee recommends increasing minimum wage to $15 sooner than planned

A new report from Nova Scotia's Minimum Wage Review Committee is recommending the province raise its minimum wage to $15 sooner than planned.

Last year, the committee recommended that Nova Scotia raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour on April 1, 2024. The province accepted that recommendation.

Now, the committee's latest report recommends increasing the minimum wage six months sooner, as well as adjusting it each year beginning in 2024.

The report includes the following recommendations:

• an increase of 90 cents an hour to $14.50 on April 1
• an increase of 50 cents an hour to $15 on Oct. 1
• Beginning in 2024, the minimum wage would be adjusted on April 1 of each year by the percentage change in the projected annual national consumer price index (CPI) for the previous calendar year, plus an additional one per cent.

In a news release, the province says it will consult with community partners before making a decision on the committee's recommendation.

The Minimum Wage Review Committee is mandated to conduct an annual review of the minimum wage in Nova Scotia.

The committee, which includes employees and employer representatives, submitted its report to the minister in December.

The release says an average of seven per cent of workers, or about 28,500 Nova Scotians, worked for minimum wage from April 2021 to March 2022. Those workers were primarily in the retail trade, followed by the food and accommodation industries.

Currently, Nova Scotia's minimum wage sits at $13.60.

On Sunday, Prince Edward Island's minimum wage increased by 80 cents, bringing the new amount to $14.50 per hour. The move means the island now has the highest minimum wage in the Maritimes. P.E.I.'s second increase will be by 50 cents on Oct. 1, bringing the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

In New Brunswick, the minimum wage currently sits at $13.75 per hour, following a $1 increase in September 2022.