Backgrounder
Document d'information
07-85
July 4, 2007
ONTARIO'S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES 2007 TO 2010
Amendments to Regulation 285/01 of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to implement the increases to the general minimum wage that were announced in the 2007 Ontario budget have come into effect. The regulation increases the minimum wage rates for students, liquor servers, homeworkers, and hunting/fishing guides by the same percentage as the general rate.
| Minimum Wage Rate | Current Rate (February 1, 2007) |
March 31, 2008 | March 31, 2009 | March 31, 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Minimum Wage | $8.00 per hour |
$8.75 per hour |
$9.50 per hour |
$10.25 per hour |
| Students under 18 and working not more than 28 hours per week during the school year or working during a school holiday | $7.50 per hour |
$8.20 per hour |
$8.90 per hour |
$9.60 per hour |
| Liquor servers | $6.95 per hour |
$7.60 per hour |
$8.25 per hour | $8.90 per hour |
| Hunting and Fishing guides |
$40.00: per day: paid this minimum rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day; |
$43.75 per day | $47.50 per day | $51.25 per day |
| $80.00 per day: for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive | $87.50 per day |
$95.00 per day |
$102.50 per day |
|
| 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 |
Ontario’s general minimum wage was increased to $8.00 per hour on February 1, 2007.
Until February, 2004, Ontario’s minimum wage rate had not been increased by the previous government for almost nine years. By phasing in the minimum wage increases over four years, the government balanced the needs of Ontario’s low-income workers with the needs of Ontario’s businesses to be competitive.
| 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 | Previously (since 1995) |
February 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 | $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 |
$34.25: per day: paid this minimum rate for less than five consecutive hours in a day; |
$35.75 | $37.25 | $38.75 | $40 .00 |
| $68.50 per day: for five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive | $71.50 |
$74.50 |
$77.50 |
$80 .00 |
|
| 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 |
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For further information:
Public enquiries:
1-800-531-5551
Media enquiries:
| Belinda Sutton Ministry of Labour 416-326-7405 |
