Nova Scotia's minimum wage will reach $15 in October

Minimum-wage workers in Nova Scotia will be earning $15 an hour in October -- six months sooner than expected.

The move was among the recommendations made by the Minimum Wage Review Committee.

"The minimum wage rate impacts the lives of workers and businesses, and we know the rising cost of inflation has been difficult for both," said Labour, Skills and Immigration Minister Jill Balser in a Friday news release.

"After further consultation, we are accepting the full set of recommendations put forward by the Minimum Wage Review Committee. Given the unexpected and significant increase in inflation, the committee carefully considered the impacts and put forth a balanced plan."

Nova Scotia's minimum wage currently sits at $13.60. It's set to increase by 90 cents on Apr. 1, to $14.50, before going up another 50 cents, to $15, on Oct. 1.

The provincial government has also accepted a recommendation that would see the minimum wage increase annually, based on the national consumer price index (CPI), plus an additional one per cent, beginning Apr. 1, 2024.

According to the province, roughly 28,500 Nova Scotians earned minimum wage between April 2021 and March 2022, with most jobs in retail, food and accommodations.

Prince Edward Island currently has the highest minimum wage in the Maritimes, at $14.50 per hour. The minimum wage will increase to $15 on Oct. 1.

New Brunswick's minimum wage currently sits at $13.75, but that will increase to $14.75 on April 1.