Quebec's Minimum Wage Is Officially Going Up In May

If you work a minimum wage job, then you can expect a raise this year. In mid-January, Quebec announced that it would be increasing the minimum wage by $0.75 on May 1, 2022.

This means minimum wage in the province will be bumped up from $13.50 per hour to $14.25 per hour — a 5.56% increase. Employees will earn approximately $1,406.25 more (before taxes and deductions) per year if they work 37.5 hours each week for 50 weeks of the year.

For tipped workers, the new hourly rate will be $11.40 an hour, which is $0.60 more an hour than they're currently required to make.

"The health crisis is creating significant challenges for businesses and workers in Quebec. In this context, I am announcing today a significant and consequent increase in the minimum wage," said Jean Boulet, minister of labour, employment and social solidarity in a press release.

This minimum wage increase comes at a time when COVID-19 is impacting supply chains, driving up food prices among other costs of living, as experts predict continued inflation. With this wage increase, Boulet said the government also wants to increase the "purchasing power" of workers.

"On the one hand, we want the most vulnerable workers in society to be better paid, in order to increase their purchasing power and reduce poverty. On the other hand, we are making sure that this increase respects the financial capacity of businesses to pay without harming their competitiveness," he said.

In an interview with the Canadian Press, Minister Boulet is quoted as saying he believes he can raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in May 2023, which would match Canada's federal minimum wage as well as the new minimum wage in Ontario.

According to the Ministry's press release, 301,100 people in Quebec will benefit from this wage increase.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.