Quebec minimum wage increasing by 50 cents May 1
Posted January 31, 2024 10:13 am.
The minimum wage in Quebec will be raised by $0.50, from $15.25 to $15.75 an hour starting May 1.
According to the Quebec government, they made this decision “because of the economic uncertainty” that is affecting the retail and restaurant sectors that are currently experiencing difficulties and closures.
Quebec’s Labour Minister Jean Boulet, says 200,700 workers will be affected by this minimum wage increase, including 111,200 women.
“We have to understand that raising the wage significantly could have a negative effect and put significant pressure on employers, leading to closures in the retail, restaurant and accommodation sectors, which is undesirable, with all the negative consequences that could have on the Quebec economy.”
The government wants the minimum wage to remain around 50 per cent of the average wage, so following the next increase, it will reach 50.8 per cent.
Boulet points out that the increase is equivalent to 3.28 per cent and will be “higher than anticipated inflation for the 2024-2025 financial year, which is 2.3 per cent.”
He also said that the government “has made great efforts to protect the population against inflation,” likes distributing one-off cheques, capping government tariffs, lowering taxes and improving the tax credit for the elderly.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews.
