Minimum wage has increased to $15.50 per hour. This comes after the Ontario Financial Watchdog said the province may need to increase minimum wage to bring in more people to the work force. Manager at Strathroy’s Community Employment Choices, Bill Pigram says this raise may bring some job security to some.
Although Minimum wage has raised, the big question still goes unanswered, is this a livable wage? We have yet to find out.
The watchdog estimates that the province will need 138,000 people for the public working sector over the next 5 years.
Pigram says that those jobs need better pay to keep people in those jobs. Right now it makes more sense to work another job for more money but that job may not be needed as much as an Early Childhood Educator or a Social Worker.
“It’s a choice we have to make; how much do we value these people?” says Pigram.
A report released by the Financial Accountability Office on public sector compensation says Ontario is already facing high vacancy rates in areas including long-term care, home care and child care.
The report says public sector wage growth overall is below inflation and below average raises in the private sector, as well as municipal and federal employees in the province.
It says the province saved 9.7-billion dollars under legislation capping public sector raises at one per cent a year for three years — but warns a court challenge could all but wipe that out.
Rates from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023
General minimum wage – $15.50 per hour
Student minimum wage – $14.60 per hour
written by: R. Ross
