Ontario’s minimum wage goes up

Residents making the minimum wage saw their pay go up over the weekend.

As of Oct. 1, the general minimum wage for Ontario residents went up to $11.40 per hour from $11.25, marking the third year in a row that the minimum wage has gone up.

Other minimum wages went up as well, including the student rate going to $10.70 from $10.55 and $9.90 from $9.80 for liquor servers.

This latest minimum wage increase comes as part of a new program approved by the province in 2014, which sees annual minimum wage increases tied to the Consumer Price Index.

“Our government understands that costs of living increase every year,” states Kevin Flynn, the province’s labour minister, in a news release.

“In order to help families keep up, we’ve tied the minimum wage to increases in inflation, putting more money into the pockets of Ontario workers each year.”

According to a news release from the province, this change to the minimum wage protocol in Ontario has led to full-time minimum wage earners making $2,392 more per year than they did three years ago.