The federal minimum wage is rising to $17.30 per hour, effective April 1.
The increase from $16.65 reflects the increase in the annual average consumer price index for 2023. Roughly 30,000 employees in the federally regulated private sector are expected to benefit from the increase, according to a press release, which also noted employers are required to adjust their payroll information accordingly to ensure all employees, including interns, receive the correct hourly wage.
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“Everyone’s feeling the pinch of inflation,” said Minister of Labour and Seniors Seamus O’Regan Jr., in the release. “So, wages must keep up with the cost of living.”
Ottawa introduced the federal minimum wage in 2021 and has adjusted it annually based on Canada’s annual average consumer price index from the previous calendar year. If the provincial or territorial minimum wage rate exceeds the federal rate, employers must pay the higher of the two.