Many Quebec workers are about a month away from seeing a bigger paycheque.
Starting May 1, the province’s minimum wage will rise from $16.10 to $16.60 per hour — a 50-cent increase that works out to a 3.11% bump. That’s actually a larger raise than what workers received last year, when the increase came in at 35 cents.
Around 258,900 workers across Quebec are expected to benefit from the change. For anyone putting in full-time hours, the math adds up to roughly $687 in additional take-home pay over the course of the year. That’s not nothing, especially with grocery and rent costs still weighing on household budgets.
Labour Minister Jean Boulet framed the increase as a balancing act. “This increase protects workers’ purchasing power while allowing our businesses to remain competitive,” he said when the change was announced earlier this year.
How does Quebec stack up against other provinces?
After May 1, Quebec will still land somewhere in the middle of the national pack. Nunavut tops the country at $19.75 per hour, while British Columbia sits at $17.85 and Ontario at $17.60. Alberta remains the lowest in the country at $15.00.
For broader context, Quebec’s minimum wage has climbed from $12.00 per hour back in May 2018 — meaning workers have seen a total increase of $4.60, or roughly 38%, over the past eight years.
StatCan data puts the average weekly wage for full-time workers in Quebec at $1,280.
What about tipped workers and agricultural workers?
Employees who earn tips aren’t being left out. Their minimum rate is going up 40 cents per hour (a 3.10% increase), moving from $12.90 to $13.30.
Agricultural workers who pick berries will also see adjusted rates come May 1: $4.93 per kilogram for raspberries and $1.32 per kilogram for strawberries.