Work in Canada
In October 2023, Four Canadian Provinces Will Increase Minimum Wage Rates
This year, six out of ten Canadian provinces will increase their minimum wages. The federal minimum wage in Canada increased at the beginning of this month from $15.55 to $16.65. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) indicated at the time that this action had an impact because about 26,000 working Canadians earned less than $15.55 per hour.
The minimal amount of compensation that an employer is compelled to pay wage earners for the job completed during a certain period is known as a minimum wage. This cannot be decreased by a collective agreement or an individual contract.
According to recent reports, the minimum wage will shortly increase regionally for Canadians in more than half of the nation’s provinces. More specifically, the following minimum wage hikes are planned to take effect on October 1 in the following provinces:
| Canadian Province | Minimum Wage Hikes |
| Ontario | From $15.50 to $16.55 |
| Manitoba | From $14.15 to $15.30 |
| Saskatchewan | From $13.00 to $14.00 |
| Nova Scotia | From $14.50 to $15.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | From $14.50 to $15.00 |
| Prince Edward Island (PEI) | From $14.50 to $15.00 |
Please note: The Saskatchewan government has already indicated that they plan to increase the federal minimum wage in October 2024 from $14.00 to $15.00.
Immigrants in Canada: What These Changes Mean?
According to Craig Pickthorne, equity-seeking groups and women, immigrants are one of three groups who frequently find themselves near the bottom of the pay scale.
Thus, the news of rising regional minimum pay rates will help a large number of recent Canadian immigrants, in particular since the federal minimum wage rise from earlier this month only affects workers in federally regulated occupations. Additionally, the move will be a welcome increase in earning potential for a sizeable portion of the recent immigrants in the six provinces receiving minimum wage increases in October. This move should afterwards help them establish more comfortable lives in their new residence.
Universal Labour Laws Protect Newcomers to Canada
Despite the fact that immigrants from Canada tend to over represent themselves in low-paying jobs. It is important to note that they are still entitled to the same protections and rights as all other workers in this country. According to the Canadian Labour Code, everyone who is employed has a right to a safe workplace and fair pay.
This includes Canadians, temporary foreign employees, international students, and permanent residents. Employers in Canada must also give workers, including immigrants, job training, affordable healthcare services, information about their rights, and a signed copy of their employment contract.
Additionally, employers in Canada are required to make sure they don’t treat workers unfairly in any of the following ways:
- Forcing workers to carry out risky tasks or tasks that are not covered by their employment contract;
- Forcing workers who are ill or injured to work;
- Forcing overtime hours on workers who don’t have these requirements in their employment contract;
- Removing a worker’s work permit or passport;
- Changing a worker’s immigration status or implying that they will be deported
