Minimum wage going up soon in Ontario

Ontario’s minimum wage is set to go up soon.

On Oct. 1, the provincial government is increasing the minimum wage to $17.20 per hour from $16.55.

The 3.9 per cent jump is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index and will bring Ontario’s minimum wage to the second-highest in Canada, only behind British Columbia’s at $17.40 per hour, a news release from the province issued earlier this year said.

The jump means that a worker who is paid the general minimum wage and works 40 hours per week will get up to $1,355 more per year, the province said.

“About 35 per cent of workers at or below the current general minimum wage of $17.20 per hour are in retail trade and 24 per cent are in accommodation and food services,” the government noted.

The province’s minimum wage increases annually based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index, which is a measure of inflation.