Ontario’s general minimum wage set to rise to $17.95 on Oct. 1, 2026

Ontario’s general minimum wage will increase to $17.95 an hour on Oct. 1, 2026, up from $17.60. The province announced the change April 1.

The general minimum wage applies across Ontario, including communities in Northeast Ontario.

The province said the change will affect more than 700,000 workers.

Under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000, the minimum wage is adjusted each Oct. 1 based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index. For the Oct. 1, 2026 increase, the province cited an Ontario CPI figure of 1.9 per cent.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development said a worker earning the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week would see an annual pay increase of about $728.

Ontario also said the $17.95 rate would be the second-highest minimum wage among provinces.

The province said roughly 35 per cent of minimum-wage workers are employed in retail trade, and 24 per cent work in accommodation and food services.

In the release, Labour Minister David Piccini said the province was raising the minimum wage “to one of the highest in Canada.”