Quebec’s minimum wage is set to increase by 50 cents to $15.75 an hour starting on May 1. The decision to raise the minimum wage is due to the economic uncertainty in the retail and restaurant sectors, as stated by the Labour Department. This hike will impact over 200,000 workers, with more than 111,000 of them being women.
Labour Minister Jean Boulet emphasized the need to implement the increase gradually, as doing so too quickly could have a negative impact on employers, particularly in the restaurant and retail industries. The government aims to keep the minimum wage at around half of the average hourly pay for workers in Quebec.
Furthermore, Boulet pointed out that the three percent increase in the minimum wage exceeds the estimated inflation for the province’s 2024-25 fiscal year, which currently stands at 2.3 percent. The rise in minimum wage is intended to maintain a balance within the labor market and minimize any detrimental effects on employers and the economy.