Nova Scotia to raise minimum wage to $15 by April 2024

The Nova Scotia government has accepted the recommendation of a provincial advisory committee to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The increase will be phased in over the next two years, beginning with an increase of 40 cents on April 1. That will bring the wage to $13.35. 

The minimum wage review committee made its recommendations in December.

The province accepted the first proposed increase, but asked for time to consider the overall recommendations. On Thursday, Labour Minister Jill Balser announced the government was accepting all of the committee's recommendations.

"The work of the minimum wage committee really took a balanced approach in considering all perspectives from employers as well as businesses and it was really important that we heard from the committee around how those conversations took place," Balser said following a cabinet meeting.

She said she recognized it was a difficult process but that it was done "in such a respectful manner, so that balanced approach is really what we're seeing in that recommendation to get to $15."

"A steady increase over four increases is really a pathway forward that we want to be able to endorse and which we are going to be doing."

The increase will bring Nova Scotia in line with other provinces.

Other increases will come on Oct. 1, 2022, April 1, 2023 and Oct. 1 of 2023. The final increase is set for April 1, 2024.