Minimum Wage to Increase Oct. 1

Nova Scotians are reminded that the minimum wage is increasing to $10 per hour on Saturday, Oct. 1. This is a 3.6 per cent increase from the present rate of $9.65.

The minimum wage for inexperienced workers, with less than three months' experience in the work for which they were hired, will rise to $9.50.

"The minimum wage rate is now back to the buying power it once had in the mid-70s," said Marilyn More, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education. "Going forward, tying it to an annual index will help make sure it stays in line with changes to the cost of living. It will also provide predictability for both employees and businesses."

After the increase Saturday, future increases will occur in April, beginning in 2012, indexing the minimum wage to the Low Income Cut Off, a figure set by Statistics Canada where people are devoting a significantly larger than average percentage of their income to the basic necessities of food, shelter and clothing. Increases will be based on the national Consumer Price Index from the previous calendar year.

Increasing the rate annually, based on inflation, will directly impact more than 36,000 Nova Scotians who make close to the minimum wage.

The government is also investing an additional $18.25 million this year to help income assistance clients and low-income Nova Scotians make ends meet. These include a 22 per cent increase per child, per month, to the Nova Scotia Child Benefit, a $15 per month increase in the Income Assistance Personal Allowance, indexing the Affordable Living Tax Credit and the Poverty Reduction Credit to keep up with inflation, and allowing working income assistance clients to keep more money each month.