N.B.’s Minimum Wage Will Increase 20 Cents To $11.70 An Hour
The minimum wage in New Brunswick will be going up April 1, but it will be well below the rate in neighbouring Maritime provinces.
The rate will be increased by a modest 20 cents, from $11.50 an hour to $11.70.
Trevor Holder, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister, says the rate is being raised to reflect a change to New Brunswick’s consumer price index, which grew by 1.7 percent last year.
“Our government is committed to energizing the private sector and creating the environment that our businesses need to succeed,” said Holder. “We have established predictable minimum wage increases to benefit both employers and employees. This allows New Brunswick businesses to be better prepared for increases when they occur.”
At the end of last month, the Nova Scotia government has announced its biggest increase to the minimum wage in a decade.
On April 1, its rate will increase by $1 an hour, to $12.55 per hour. It will be the largest annual increase to the province’s minimum wage since 2010.
“All Nova Scotians should benefit from our province’s economic growth and steadily improving business environment,” said Premier Stephen McNeil at the time. “We are committed to moving forward in a balanced way by making changes that benefit both workers and businesses.”
Prince Edward Island will have the highest minimum wage in the region when it jumps from $12.25 to $12.85 on April 1.
RELATED: Nova Scotia Is Increasing Its Minimum Wage To $12.55 Per Hour