The Province has accepted the recommendations from the Minimum Wage Review Committee, which include setting the minimum wage at $15 an hour on October 1, six months sooner than scheduled.
“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 Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “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.”
In January, the government sought input from community partners before deciding on the committee’s recommendations in its December report.
The minimum wage, currently $13.60, will increase twice this year:
— April 1 – $14.50
— October 1 – $15.
The committee also recommended the minimum wage increase annually based on the national consumer price index (CPI), plus an additional one per cent, effective April 1, 2024.
Quick Facts:
— the Minimum Wage Review Committee is comprised of employee and employer representatives
— under the Labour Standards Code, the committee is mandated to conduct an annual review of the minimum wage in Nova Scotia
— starting April 1, 2024, the minimum wage rate set the preceding April will be adjusted annually on April 1 by the projected annual national CPI percentage change for the previous calendar year, plus an additional one per cent (i.e., if CPI is four per cent on April 1, 2024, the minimum wage will increase to $15.25, based on the April 1, 2023, minimum wage of $14.50 plus five per cent)
— an average of seven per cent of workers, or about 28,500 Nova Scotians, worked for minimum wage during the period from April 2021 to March 2022; they worked primarily in retail trade, followed by food and accommodation industries
Additional Resources:
The Nova Scotia Minimum Wage Review Committee report is available at: https://novascotia.ca/lae/pubs/#minwage
More information on Nova Scotia’s minimum wage is available at: https://novascotia.ca/lae/employmentrights/minimumwage.asp