The province of New Brunswick said on Monday that the minimum wage would rise to $15.30 an hour on April 1st, although it will still be much less than what is deemed a livable wage. The province currently has one of the lowest rates in the nation, second only to Saskatchewan, at $14.75.
Rise In Minimum Pay
With the 55-cent raise, New Brunswick will no longer have the lowest minimum wage among the Atlantic provinces as of April; instead, it will remain in second place. At $15.60, Newfoundland and Labrador will have the highest in all of Atlantic Canada. The minimum wage in P.E.I. will rise to $15.40, while the minimum pay in Nova Scotia will rise to $15.20.
“Through the past five years, our government has made sure that wages in New Brunswick are competitive with those in Atlantic Canada,” stated a press statement from Arlene Dunn, the province’s minister of post-secondary education, training, and labor in New Brunswick.
“We established predictable minimum wage increases in 2019 to protect earners from inflation increases and to help businesses better prepare for increases when they occur.” The minimum wage in the province is based on the consumer price index and is rounded to the closest five cents. In the year 2023, the CPI increased by 3.6%.
According to the statement, there has been a 36% increase in the minimum wage since 2019. It stated, “The indexing of minimum wage increases to the consumer price index be reviewed every two years, as mandated by government legislation.”
Difference In Living Wage And Minimum Wage
“This year, a review will be conducted.” According to the press release, individuals who are “looking for help reaching their career goals or seeking higher-paying work” could stop by one of the province’s 19 WorkingNB offices.
The Human Development Council of New Brunswick published a report in November stating that there is an insufficient difference between the minimum wage in the province and the “living wage” which is the amount required for two working adults to sustain a family of four.
The HDC reports that the living wage in Fredericton is $24.50, in Saint John it is $23.35, in Moncton it is $22.75, and in Bathurst it is $21.65.
It stated that raising the minimum wage gives New Brunswickers more purchasing power and that in order to “ensure that everyone, regardless of work status, can live as fully participating members of our communities,” government grants and subsidies must rise in line with inflation.
