Some of Canada's provinces have recently given their minimum wage workers a bit of a boost in their salaries — leaving some provinces much further behind in their minimum wages.Ontario, Prince Edward Island (PEI), Nova Scotia (NS), Manitoba, and Saskatchewan all made the bump at the stroke of midnight on October 1, creating the mandatory pay raise.Of course, each wage increase differs per province, and just so you, dear Western Standard reader, have a concrete (and listed) idea of which province has the highest and lowest minimum wage — we have compiled said list.On top of this, it's worth knowing what the effects on the Canadian economy are when minimum wages increases, a topic this article will also explore.But first, here's the list of highest to lowest minimum wage per province (and territory) in Canada..13. NunavutMinimum-wage employers must pay a hefty fee to their workers, a minimum of $20.17.This is a recent increase for the territory, that began on September 1.Prior to this, its minimum wage was $19.75, a 42-cent jump, which made it the highest in the country..12. YukonIn the Yukon, employers are expected to pay their workers a minimum of $18.51, a recent boost that became official in April.Before April, the territory's minimum wage sat at $17.94, a 57-cent increase..11. British Columbia (BC)BC has decided minimum-wage workers should make at least, $18.25, making it official back in June.Before June, its minimum wage was set at $17.85, a 40-cent increase..10. OntarioBeginning on October 1, Ontario-mandated minimum-wage workers will receive $17.95.A small but still visible increase from its prior minimum wage threshold at $17.60 is a 35-cent increase. .9. Prince Edward Island (PEI)Like Ontario, PEI decided it was time to up its minimum wage to $17.30, starting October 1.Prior to this increase, its minimum wage was $17.00, a change it began in April this year.PEI has also already announced it will be increasing its minimum wage again in April 2027 to $17.60..8. Northwest Territories (NT)An only 10 cent difference from PEI, NT recently increased its minimum wage workers to $17.20 which began on September 1. Prior to this, NT had a minimum wage of $16.95, making this a 25-cent hike..7. Nova Scotia (NS)NS has a new minimum wage of $17.00, which began on October 1.Prior to this, NS had its minimum wage set at $16.75, changed back in April, making its most recent increase worth 25 cents..6. QuebecQuebec has had its minimum wage in place since May, at a crisp $16.60.The province had increased its minimum wage by 50 cents from the previous standard of $16.10..5. ManitobaManitoba has updated its minimum wage to $16.40 as of early October.This moved from $16.00 a year earlier..4. Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)NL has set its sights on making its minimum wage $16.35, which began in April.Before this new minimum, its minimum wage was set at $16.00..3. New Brunswick (NB)NB's minimum wage is currently set at $15.90.A change it made in April this year.Prior to this, it was $16.90. .2. Saskatchewan Saskatchewan almost made it to the top spot for lowest minimum wage, missing it by some cents, as it made it mandatory to pay minimum-wage workers $15.70, which began on October 1.This is an increase of 35 cents from $15.35..1. AlbertaAnd the lowest minimum wage province goes to... Alberta at $15.Alberta is the only province that does not have an annual increase to its minimum wage.It froze minimum wage back in 2019, with students under 18 receiving $13.Before the minimum wage was increased in 2017, it sat at $13.60..It is worth noting the feds' minimum wage, which applies to federally regulated industries, has been set at $18.15, beginning in April this year.Now that all this has been disclosed — let's get into what increasing the minimum wage means for the economy.As it turns out, much research, including one Fraser Institute study from 2016, concludes increasing the minimum wage reduces job opportunities for teenagers and other "groups of low-skilled and low-productivity workers."As one Fraser Institute article summarizes, many argue raising the minimum wage supports low-income workers and makes life more affordable..But its actual effects can be a bit counterintuitive compared with this belief.A good example of this comes from the US, in California, where the state decided to boost its minimum wage at the beginning of 2023. According to two studies by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), employment in California's fast-food sector declined 2.7% relative to employment in the rest of the country's fast food sector from 2023 to September 2024.This translated to an estimated 18,000 jobs lost and inflated fast-food prices increasing an extra 3.3% to 3.6%. .In cases such as this, a higher government-mandated minimum wage resulted in lost jobs and higher fast-food prices to maintain restaurant owners' capital.On top of this, higher fast-food prices meant that Californians ate and purchased less fast food, resulting in less need for fast-food jobs and the cutting of fast-food workers' hours.Though the article points out small raises in the minimum wage tend to hurt jobs less than big ones, any increase still does not help, since it will lead to lost jobs and higher prices, not benefiting the most "disadvantaged workers and the poorest consumers."As Don Boudreaux has previously argued, "This classic economic argument against the minimum wage rests on the central pillar of modern economics: the law of demand. The law of demand says that if the cost of taking an action rises, people will take that action less frequently."
