Ontario Raising Minimum Wage to $17.60 an Hour Starting October 1
TORONTO — Minimum wage workers in Ontario will see a pay bump this fall, with the province confirming an increase from $17.20 to $17.60 an hour, effective October 1, 2025.
The 40-cent raise reflects a 2.4 per cent rise based on Ontario’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure tied to inflation. According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the adjustment will give full-time minimum wage earners working 40 hours a week an annual boost of up to $835.
Ontario’s updated rate will become the second highest minimum wage among Canadian provinces, a move the government says supports both workers and economic stability.
“Our government will continue to have the backs of Ontario workers, investing in skills training and development and helping ensure that work pays,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, in the official news release.
The increase comes as part of Ontario’s annual process to tie wage hikes to the CPI and follows the passage of the Working for Workers Six Act, 2024, which focuses on expanding skilled trades access, reducing employment barriers, and enhancing protections for frontline and female workers.
Recent data shows nearly 60 per cent of workers earning $17.60 or less are employed in retail, accommodation, and food services — industries with some of the province’s lowest-paid jobs.
Since 2018, Ontario’s minimum wage has climbed from $14 to $17.60 — a $3.60 increase over seven years.
More information on the upcoming wage changes and employment standards is available through the Ontario government’s official website.
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