Quebec will increase its minimum wage
The change will affect 200,000 people.
As of May 1, the minimum hourly wage in Quebec will rise by 50 cents to CA$ 15.75.
Due to instability in the retail and catering sector, the Labor Department has decided to increase the minimum wage by more than 3%. According to the department's report, about 200,000 workers will be affected by this measure, among them more than 111,000 women.
Jean Boulet, Minister of Labor, stressed that the authorities are not seeking a sharp increase in the minimum wage so as not to have a negative impact on employers, especially in the catering and retail sectors.
The government's increase will keep the minimum wage at approximately 50% of the average hourly earnings of Quebec workers, which is in line with the province's goal. Boulet noted that the expected inflation rate for the 2024-2025 fiscal year is 2.3%. So the increase in the minimum hourly rate covers inflation by a margin.
Earlier, another Canadian province, New Brunswick, announced minimum wage increase.
