News release

Annual Review Submitted by Minimum Wage Review Committee

Labour, Skills and Immigration

Nova Scotia’s Minimum Wage Review Committee has submitted its report with recommendations on the minimum wage rate, proposing a faster path to reaching $15 per hour.

The government will seek input from community partners before making a decision on the committee’s recommendations.

“We thank the committee for its important work as the minimum wage rate impacts Nova Scotians in every region of the province,” said Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “As we decide on the path forward, it’s important that we take a balanced approach and consider the impacts to employers and employees, particularly as all Nova Scotians and businesses continue to deal with the rising cost of living and inflation.”

The report includes the following recommendations on raising the minimum wage:

  • an increase of 90 cents an hour to $14.50 on April 1
  • an increase of 50 cents an hour to $15 on October 1
  • starting April 1, 2024, the minimum wage would be adjusted on April 1 of each year by the percentage change in the projected annual national consumer price index (CPI) for the previous calendar year, plus an additional one per cent.

The Minimum Wage Review Committee, comprised of employee and employer representatives, submitted its report to the Minister in December.

Quick Facts:

  • under the Labour Standards Code, the Minimum Wage Review Committee is mandated to conduct an annual review of the minimum wage in Nova Scotia
  • committee recommendations accepted last year included raising the minimum wage to $14.30 an hour on April 1 this year; to $14.65 on October 1; and to $15 on April 1, 2024
  • an average of seven per cent of workers, or about 28,500 Nova Scotians, worked for minimum wage during the period from April 2021 to March 2022; they worked primarily in retail trade, followed by food and accommodation industries

Additional Resources:

The Nova Scotia Minimum Wage Review Committee report is available at: https://novascotia.ca/lae/pubs

More information on Nova Scotia’s minimum wage is available at: https://novascotia.ca/lae/employmentrights/minimumwage.asp

Follow Us