New Brunswick’s minimum wage set to increase in April

New Brunswick's minimum wage is set to be $15.65 per hour starting April 1.

New Brunswickers making minimum wage will see an increase on their paycheques in April.

The province is increasing its minimum wage by 35 cents on April 1, bringing the new rate to $15.65 per hour.

In New Brunswick, six per cent of all employees were earning the minimum wage last year, down from 6.7 per cent in 2023.

More than half of those earning minimum wage were working part time, according to a provincial news release. Thirty-two per cent of all the minimum wage earners in 2024 were 15 to 19 years of age.

“As the cost of living rises, it is important that we continue to raise wages, but the minimum wage is just one tool that we have to help New Brunswickers earn more,” said Jean-Claude D’Amours, acting minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour.

“It is encouraging that, even as the number of people working across the province increases, the number of people earning minimum wage remains relatively low.”

The minimum wage rate is indexed to New Brunswick’s consumer price index, rounded to the nearest five cents. The consumer price index grew by 2.2 per cent in 2024.

Nova Scotia

Last month, Nova Scotia announced it’s making the largest minimum wage increase in the province’s history this year.

The first rate increase is scheduled for April 1, when minimum wage will go up by 50 cents to $15.70. A second rate increase scheduled for Oct. 1 will see minimum wage go up by 80 cents, bringing the new amount to $16.50.

The current minimum wage in Nova Scotia is $15.20 per hour, which took effect last April.

Prince Edward Island

In October 2024, Prince Edward Island’s minimum wage saw a 60-cent-per-hour increase.

The Island’s current minimum wage is $16 per hour.

P.E.I. has yet to release details on minimum wage increases scheduled for this year.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.