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<p>Hundreds of thousands of Canadians are about to get a pay increase in a week, as the federal minimum wage is scheduled to increase on April 1.</p>
<p>According to Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, a Canadian law firm that deals with employment law, the federal minimum wage applies to workers and interns working in the federally regulated private sector, including businesses like banks, telecommunications companies, and interprovincial air, marine, rail and road transportation.</p>
<p>Currently sitting at $17.30/hour, the amount will increase by 45 cents to $17.75 per hour next month. Though it remains a modest increase, it is higher than what was projected by some Canadian litigation and immigration firms earlier this year. ImmigCanada <a href="https://immigcanada.com/minimum-wage-in-canada-set-to-rise-across-provinces-in-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anticipated</a> that the new rate would be around $17.70 per hour.</p>
<div id="attachment_2121179" style="width: 2058px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2121179" class="size-full wp-image-2121179" src="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_1191814090.jpg" alt="minimum wage 2025" width="2048" height="1463" srcset="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_1191814090.jpg 2048w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_1191814090-500x357.jpg 500w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_1191814090-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_1191814090-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_1191814090-1200x857.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><p id="caption-attachment-2121179" class="wp-caption-text">Vergani Fotografia/Shutterstock</p></div>
<p>Each year, the government adjusts the federal minimum wage amount to account for inflation. These pay bumps are based on last year&#8217;s Consumer Price Index (CPI).</p>
<p>In late February, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour Steven MacKinnon said the increase scheduled for April brings Canada a step closer to &#8220;building a more fair economy.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The federal minimum wage brings stability and certainty to Canadian workers and businesses alike and helps reduce income inequality across the board,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2025/02/increasing-the-federal-minimum-wage-starting-april-1-2025.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a>.</p>
<h2>Federal vs. provincial minimum wage in 2025</h2>
<p>Provinces may adjust their hourly minimum wage amount in April 2025. Some do it in October. Yet more may decide not to raise it at all.</p>
<p>If your <a href="https://minwage-salairemin.service.canada.ca/en/general.html">provincial or territorial minimum wage</a> rate exceeds the federal rate, it is mandatory for your federally regulated employer to pay the higher of the two.</p>
<div id="attachment_2121176" style="width: 2058px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2121176" class="size-full wp-image-2121176" src="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_2138799873.jpg" alt="minimum wage 2025" width="2048" height="1638" srcset="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_2138799873.jpg 2048w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_2138799873-500x400.jpg 500w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_2138799873-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_2138799873-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2025/03/shutterstock_2138799873-1200x960.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><p id="caption-attachment-2121176" class="wp-caption-text">Wandering views/Shutterstock</p></div>
<p>Even with projected bumps, the minimum wages in Canada are nowhere near a <a href="https://dailyhive.com/canada/minimum-wage-living-wage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">living wage</a>.</p>
<p>What are your thoughts on this 2.4 per cent increase? Send them to us at <a href="mailto:trending@dailyhive.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trending@dailyhive.com</a>.</p>
<p>Read further about <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3815539-1&amp;h=802549112&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canada.ca%2Fen%2Femployment-social-development%2Fprograms%2Femployment-standards%2Fpay-deductions.html&amp;a=Pay+and+minimum+wage%2C+deductions%2C+and+wage+recovery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government wages</a> or contact the Labour Program at 1-800-641-4049.</p>
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Many Canadians are about to get a wage increase in a week, as the federal minimum wage for 2025 is scheduled to increase on April 1.