News release

Minimum Wage to Increase on Oct. 1

Labour and Workforce Development (April 2008 - Jan. 2011)

The minimum wage in Nova Scotia is increasing to $9.65 per hour on Friday, Oct. 1. This is a 4.9 per cent increase from $9.20.

The minimum wage for inexperienced workers, with less than three months' experience in the work for which they were hired, rose to $9.15.

"Making life better for families in every region includes making sure people are paid fairly for their work," said Marilyn More, Minister of Labour and Workforce Development.

"We have carefully considered each of the recent increases in light of the province’s current economic situation and continue to agree with the recommendations that were originally made by the review committee."

In January 2008, a four-person committee recommended a series of minimum wage increases. In December 2009, after reviewing the economic climate and Nova Scotia's economic situation compared to other areas, the committee reaffirmed its original recommended schedule of wage increases.

The Oct. 1 increase is the last of the scheduled increases.

This increase brings a full-time minimum wage worker to the low income cutoff for a single individual. The low income cutoff, set by Statistics Canada, represents the threshold where people are devoting a significantly larger than average percentage of their income to the basic necessities of food, shelter, and clothing.

The government continues to develop strategic and targeted measures to make life better and more affordable for all Nova Scotians. In addition to minimum wage increases, government has also introduced rebates and tax credits, like the Affordable Living Tax Credit and the Poverty Reduction Credit. Other programs and initiatives include a $6 million dollar loan program to help child-care facilities expand, and Target 100 that connects unemployed or under-employed Nova Scotians with jobs that meet today's labour market needs.

The government has also committed $128 million towards affordable housing, provided $500,000 to transition houses and women's centres, introduced point-of-sale rebate programs on school supplies and removed the provincial portion of the HST from such items as children's clothing, shoes, diapers and feminine hygiene products.

In addition, the province is working to help Nova Scotians enter and remain in the workforce. Parents as Career Coaches are workshops for parents to help prepare their children make career choices. The Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning has helped thousands of people upgrade their literacy skills. More than 3,000 Nova Scotians have earned their high school diploma through one of the 140 tuition-free programs offered across the province. On the job, employers and employees are taking advantage of tailored workplace education programs to help upgrade essential skills at the work site.

For information on these programs and more, visit www.gov.ns.ca .