Canada: Ontario Announces New Minimum Wage Increase
- Ontario's general minimum wage will increase by $0.35 per hour on October 1, 2026, under the province's annual inflation-linked formula
- Special wage categories covering students under 18, homeworkers, and wilderness guides will also rise on the same date
- The Ontario Ministry of Labour confirmed the new figures in April 2026, giving employers six months to update their payroll systems
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Ontario's minimum wage will climb from $17.60 to $17.95 per hour on October 1, 2026, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development confirmed on April 1, 2026.
The $0.35 rise represents a 1.99% year-on-year adjustment and covers the majority of workers in the province, including those employed full-time, part-time, or on a casual basis, whether they are paid hourly, by salary, by commission, or at a piece rate.
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What the increase means for full-time workers
A worker putting in 40 hours per week at the new rate will take home $718 per week before deductions. Over a full year, that adds up to roughly $37,336 in gross earnings, compared with $36,608 under the current rate. The change puts an extra $728 per year, or about $28 more on every biweekly payslip, into a full-time worker's pocket before tax.
According to Immigration News Canada, on a monthly basis, the same worker can expect gross earnings of about $3,109.
Ontario: Other wage categories also rising
The general minimum wage is not the only rate going up. Special categories covering students under 18, homeworkers who carry out paid tasks from their own homes, and hunting, fishing, and wilderness guides will all see new rates from the same October 1 date.
All four categories move in line with Ontario's annual inflation-linked adjustment formula, which uses the Ontario Consumer Price Index published by Statistics Canada to set each year's new figures.
The ministry announced the changes six months ahead of the effective date, giving employers across the province time to update their payroll systems before the new rates kick in.
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Canada announces new categories of visa
Legit.ng earlier reported that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has opened public consultations on proposed changes to Express Entry category-based selection for 2027, in a move that could significantly alter the permanent residence pathway for skilled workers globally.
The consultation period opened on August 4, 2026, and closes on September 1, giving stakeholders less than a month to submit input that could shape how Canada selects economic immigrants next year.
Since 2023, IRCC has used three broad economic priorities to guide category-based draws: addressing long-term labour shortages in sectors such as healthcare, trades, education, and transportation; attracting top global talent to strengthen Canada's competitive position; and supporting Francophone immigration outside Quebec.
Source: Legit.ng
