On March 12, 2020, the Government of Nunavut
(GN) announced that it would be raising the
minimum wage mandated by section 12(1.1.) of the Labour
Standards Act from $13.00 per hour to $16.00 per hour,
effective April 1, 2020.
The wage increase follows a minimum wage survey conducted in
September and October 2019 by the GN. The GN stated that it hoped
that the $3.00 increase would assist residents of Nunavut in
meeting obstacles associated with living in the territory with the
highest cost of living in the country.
With this increase, Nunavut becomes the jurisdiction with the
highest minimum wage in Canada.
Employers should immediately take measures to adjust their
payroll so that employees working at minimum wage see their wages
increased to the mandated minimum on April 1, 2020. Employers who
do not comply may be investigated by the Nunavut Labour Standards
Compliance Office and risk fines and other penalties if found to be
non-compliant with the Labour
