The upcoming week will see an increase of 40 cents in the federal minimum wage, maintaining pace with inflation, according to a recent government announcement. Starting April 1, the wage will climb from $17.75 to $18.15 per hour.
Each year, the wage adjustment is determined based on the prior calendar year’s average consumer price index in Canada, which stood at 2.1 percent for 2025. The newly adjusted wage is then rounded up to the nearest five-cent increment.
Introduced by the government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2021, the federal minimum wage is applicable to workers in federally regulated sectors like transportation, banking, and telecommunications. The majority of Canadian employees are governed by the minimum wage rates set by their respective provinces or territories, with figures varying from $15 in Alberta to $19.75 in Nunavut, the highest rate in the country.