Beginning October 1, 2025, minimum wage workers in Ontario will have their wages rise to $17.60 an hour, rising from the current $17.20. The wage increase is based on the year-over-year Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), currently at 2.4 per cent.
Ontario’s minimum wage will be the second-highest provincial rate in Canada, behind British Columbia, where the hourly minimum wage is $17.85.
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini said earlier in a press release, “Our government will continue to have the backs of Ontario workers, investing in skills training and development and helping ensure that work pays.”
“Now more than ever, workers and businesses need fair, balanced and predictable wages,” Piccini added.
Ontario’s minimum wage increases annually with the CPI, as required by the Employment Standards Act, to reflect changes in consumer prices. It will rise by 2.33 per cent.
After October 1, a full-time minimum wage employee working 40 hours per week will have their pay rise by approximately $835 per year.
Student minimum wage will also be increased from $16.20 per hour to $16.60 per hour, or an additional 2.47 per cent.
Currently, about 36 percent of workers earning $17.60 or less are employed in retail, and an additional 24 percent in accommodation and food services.
