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ARTICLE · 15 APRIL 2025

Federal Minimum Wage Moves Up: A Closer Look At The Update

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As of April 1, 2025, the minimum wage for federally regulated employees has increased from $17.30 per hour to $17.75 per hour.

CanadaEmployment and HR
Graham Christie
Graham Christie
Amy Gibson
Amy Gibson
Megan Kheong
Megan Kheong
Bret Lercher
Bret Lercher
Shane Buchanan
Shane Buchanan
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As of April 1, 2025, the minimum wage for federally regulated employees has increased from $17.30 per hour to $17.75 per hour. The minimum wage increase rate is adjusted in accordance with Canada's Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the prior calendar year.

How this impacts employers

Federally regulated employers include those which typically operate in railways, shipping, trucking, airports and airlines, telecommunications, broadcasting, banks and First Nations Band councils and Indigenous self-governments (certain activities). The federal government provides a full list of these employers by industry.

Provincial and territorial wages versus federal wages

The Yukon will have the second highest local minimum wage at $17.94 followed by British Columbia at $17.85. However, Nunavut still holds the highest minimum wage at $19 per hour after a $3 increase in 2023 despite no raise in the last two years.

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