Ontario just increased its minimum wage by 50 cents

Ontario's minimum wage is officially increasing. As of today, Oct. 1 2022, the provincial minimum wage will increase by 50 cents to an hourly rate of $15.50. 

The 50 cent increase was announced back in April by Ontario's Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton. 

Students will also see a 50 cent increase in their minimum wages, from $14.10 to $14.60 on Oct. 1. 

In 2018, Premier Doug Ford froze minimum wage increases before they were due to rise to $15 in January 2019. 

In January 2022, the minimum wage was eventually raised to $15 an hour. 

Last November, the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN) revealed that a Toronto worker would need to make just over $22 an hour to earn a "living wage." 

Minimum wage should be 25 dollars at this point. Ontario is a joke.

— ♡ (@sosasluv) September 22, 2022

Experts determine living wage as the amount someone needs to make per hour in any jurisdiction to adequately cover expenses such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation, childcare, medical expenses, recreation and vacation. 

I can’t wait for all the businesses to increase costs by 20-30% again to “offset” the wage increase of 3%

— Kevin Michael (@Kevinmichaelt) September 30, 2022

If the minimum wage increase happens to occur in the middle of your pay period, the province says the pay period will be treated as two separate periods and you'll be entitled to the minimum wage that applies in that time. 

The province says if a new wage increase comes into effect on Oct. 1 of next year, they will announce on or before April 1, 2023.