The minimum wage in Prince Edward Island will increase by 50 cents per hour in the coming year.
The province’s minimum wage was raised to the current $10.50 per hour on July 1. Cabinet has approved 25-cent increases to take effect on June 1, 2016 and October 1, 2016, bringing the rate to $10.75 per hour and $11 per hour on those dates.
The Employment Standards Board reviews the minimum wage annually under the terms of the Employment Standards Act. It makes recommendations on the minimum wage rate based on economic factors in the province and on input received from the public and stakeholders.
“The Employment Standards Board works to strike a balance between the needs of workers and the needs of employers,” said Faye Martin, director of Labour and Industrial Relations for the Department of Justice and Public Safety.
Government monitors minimum wage rates elsewhere to ensure that Island workers aren’t disadvantaged compared to their neighbors. Minimum wage in New Brunswick is currently $10.30 per hour, in Nova Scotia the rate is $10.10 per hour for inexperienced workers and $10.60 per hour for experienced workers, and in Newfoundland and Labrador the minimum wage is $10.50 per hour.
Approximately 9.3 per cent of Island workers are paid at the minimum wage rate. Government is currently working across departments and with community stakeholders to develop a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy.
A history of the minimum wage on Prince Edward Island is available at www.gov.pe.ca/labour/index.php3?number=1022458&lang=E