The Ontario government announced today that come October 1, 2025, minimum wage workers in the province will see their hourly rate bump up.
The government announced the provincial minimum wage is set to increase from $17.20 to $17.60 an hour beginning October 1, 2025, in a move they are saying will help to “support workers and businesses.” According to Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini, the wage increase is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 2.4 percent. After the increase, Ontario’s minimum wage will be the second highest in Canada.
“Our government will continue to have the backs of Ontario workers, investing in skills training and development and helping ensure that work pays,” Piccini said.
“Ontario’s minimum wage remains one of the highest in the country. Now more than ever, workers and businesses need fair, balanced and predictable wages.”
According to the government’s release, about 36 percent of workers at or below the wage of $17.60 per hour work in retail trade, and 24 percent are in accomodation and food services. Under the new wage, a worker earning the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week will see an annual pay increase of $835 as a result of the increase. Under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, the provincial minimum wage increases annual based on the Ontario CPI, which is “a measure of inflation that represents changes in prices experienced by Ontario consumers.”
“This increase is just one of the ways the government is supporting Ontario workers and helping make Ontario the best place to work, live and raise a family,” the government said it its release.
“Most recently, Ontario passed the Working for Workers Six Act, 2024, whichis helping more workers enter the skilled trades, removing barriers to employment, protecting workers and supporting frontline heroes and women at work.”
Including October’s increase, Ontario’s minimum wage has risen a total of $3.60 per hour since 2018, when minimum wage was $14 per hour.
