Fact Sheet
Feuille de renseignements

03-65
December 1, 2003

ONTARIO'S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

Ontario's current general minimum wage is $6.85 per hour. This results in a full-time minimum wage earner receiving an annual income of $14,248.
From 1995 to 2002, Ontario's inflation rate increased by over 15 per cent. During this time, the average hourly earnings of an Ontario worker (excluding overtime) have increased by 15.5 per cent. Over the same period, the general minimum wage remained frozen at $6.85 per hour.
In 2000, there were 191,000 minimum wage earners in Ontario, earning between the liquor server's minimum wage of $5.95 per hour and the general minimum wage of $6.85 per hour. This represents approximately 3.1 per cent of the estimated number of workers in Ontario in 2000.
Another 489,000 workers earned between the general minimum wage of $6.85 per hour and $8 per hour. This represents approximately 7.9 per cent of the estimated number of workers employed in Ontario in 2000.

The general minimum wage for Ontario workers will increase to $7.15 per hour on February 1, 2004 from the current rate of $6.85 per hour. Further increases will follow on an annual basis, bringing the minimum wage to $8 per hour by February 2007.
By phasing-in these increases, the government is helping low-income workers while giving Ontario businesses the opportunity to adjust to these increases so that they can stay competitive with other Canadian and American jurisdictions.

Ontario General Minimum Wage Rate/hr	Implementation Date
$6.85	January 1995
$7.15	February 1, 2004
$7.45	February 1, 2005
$7.75	February 1, 2006
$8.00	February 1, 2007

Minimum Wage Rate	Current	Februry 1, 2004	February 1, 2005	February 1, 2006	February 1, 2007
General Minimum Wage	$6.85 per hour	$7.15 per hour	$7.45 per hour	$7.75 per hour	$8.00 per hour
Students under 18 and working not more than 28 hours per week or working during a school holiday	$6.40 per hour	$6.70 per hour	$6.95 per hour	$7.25 per hour	$7.50 per hour
Liquor server	$5.95 per hour	$6.20 per hour	$6.50 per hour	$6.75 per hour	$6.95 per hour
Hunting and Fishing guides: paid for less than five consecutive hours in a day;	$34.25	$35.75	$37.25	$38.75	$40
Hunting and Fishing guides: for five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive	$68.50	$71.50	$74.50	$77.50	$80
Homeworkers (defined as people doing paid work in their home for an employer)	110 per cent of the general minimum wage	110 per cent of the general minimum wage	110 per cent of the general minimum wage	110 per cent of the general minimum wage	110 per cent of the general minimum wage

Bruce Stewart
Minister's Office
416-326-7710