The Government of the Northwest Territories will increase the NWT’s minimum wage from $10 to $12.50 an hour, effective June 1, 2015.
If no other province or territory increases its minimum wage in the interim, that will give the territory the highest minimum wage in Canada.
Presently, Ontario and Nunavut have the highest minimum wage at $11 an hour.
In a statement, the GNWT said the increase was based on the findings of its minimum wage committee, appointed in 2013.
“The move to increase the minimum wage is part of ongoing efforts to support the people of the NWT and ensure they have opportunities, possibilities, and a fair wage,” said Jackson Lafferty, the employment minister.
“The committee provided me with three options to address the need for an increase. We looked very carefully at each and determined that the $12.50 option would not only serve to help those people working under minimum wage, but would be manageable for employers.”
