Human Resources Legislative Update
Federal Minimum Wage to Increase April 1, 2026
Date: March 24, 2026
The federal government has announced that, effective April 1, 2026, the federal minimum wage will increase from $17.75 to $18.15 per hour in response to inflation.
The increase applies to federally regulated industries, including, but not limited to, banking, postal and courier services, telecommunications and broadcasting, and interprovincial air, rail, road and marine transportation.
The federal minimum wage is adjusted annually based on Canada’s annual average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the previous calendar year. The CPI rose 2.1% in 2025, resulting in the upcoming increase. The new wage is then rounded up to the nearest five-cent increment.
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Employers in federally regulated industries are required to adjust their payrolls to ensure all employees (including interns) receive the correct minimum hourly wage as of April 1, 2026.
Note that where the provincial or territorial minimum wage rate (where the employee works) exceeds the federal rate, federally regulated employers must pay their employees the higher of the two.
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