Nova Scotia is set to increase its minimum wage by $1.30 this year, marking the largest annual wage hike in the province’s history.
The rate will rise to $15.70 per hour on April 1 and then to $16.50 on October 1, the provincial government announced Wednesday.
Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration, said the increase is aimed at helping workers keep pace with inflation.
“Inflation continues to put pressure on families across the province. We need to do what we can to help,” Young said. “This year we will see the biggest increase in minimum wage ever made in our province. We’re supporting hard-working Nova Scotians while addressing the rising cost of living.”
Under the new rates, a worker earning minimum wage for 37.5 hours a week will see an annual pay increase of up to $2,535.
Nova Scotia’s minimum wage is adjusted annually on April 1 based on the previous year’s consumer price index, plus an additional one per cent. The extra increase in October is intended to respond to concerns about affordability, according to the government.
The Minimum Wage Review Committee, which includes representatives from both employees and employers, submitted its recommendations to the minister on December 30.
The province’s current minimum wage of $15.20 per hour took effect on April 1, 2024. Approximately 7.3 per cent of workers, or 33,700 Nova Scotians, earned minimum wage between April and October 2024, according to government data.
