Ontario’s general minimum wage rises to $17.95 an hour on Oct. 1, up 35 cents from the $17.60 rate in place since last October. The student rate goes to $16.90 from $16.60 and the homeworker rate to $19.70 from $19.35.
The increase is set by law rather than by an announcement: the Employment Standards Act ties the minimum wage to the Ontario Consumer Price Index, with the new rate published by April 1 and taking effect Oct. 1. The province’s guide to the Act lists the new figures and says the 2026 increase “is tied to the Ontario Consumer Price Index for 2026.”
Who gets which rate
The general rate covers most employees. The student rate applies to workers under 18 who work 28 hours a week or less during the school year, or during a school break or summer holidays. The homeworker rate — the highest of the three — applies to people paid to do work in their own homes for an employer, whatever their age.
For a full-time worker on the general rate, 35 cents an hour is about $14 a week before deductions, or roughly $728 a year on a 40-hour week. A pay period that straddles Oct. 1 is paid at the old rate for hours before that date and the new rate after it.
If you are not paid the new rate
Employers must pay at least the minimum for every hour worked, including training time. Workers who are paid less can file a claim with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development under the Employment Standards Act; the ministry can order back pay. The next adjustment will be published by April 1, 2027 for Oct. 1, 2027.
Source: Ontario — Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Minimum wage, updated April 1, 2026.
