Skip to main content

Featured

5 Things to Know Today (Oct. 1): Minimum Wage Hike, Cooler U.S. Inflation, Oil Below $100

  Thursday October 1, 2026 A new quarter, a higher minimum wage in Ontario and a softer inflation read south of the border. Here are the five things that matter to your wallet today. 1 Ontario's minimum wage rises to $17.95 today Ontario's general minimum wage climbs 35 cents, from $17.60 to $17.95 an hour, as of October 1 — a roughly 2% bump tied to Ontario's CPI. The student rate goes to $16.90 (from $16.60) and the homeworker rate to $19.70. A full-time worker at 40 hours a week earns about $718 a week before deductions. Federally regulated workers already have an $18.15 floor, which has applied since April 1. What it means for you: If you pay anyone by the hour — a cleaner, a part-time helper, a seasonal worker — hours worked from today forward must be paid at no less than $17.95, even if the pay period started in September. Workers should check their next paycheque. 2 Cooler U.S. inflation eases the pressure on rate hikes The Fed's preferred inflation gauge came i...

article

Canada’s Job Market Remains Steady in December 2023



Canada’s economy added just 100 jobs in December and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.8 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Employment growth slowed in the second half of 2023, averaging 23,000 per month, compared with the first six months of 2023, when it averaged 48,000 per month. At the same time, average hourly wages increased 5.4 per cent year-over-year, following a rise of 4.8 per cent in November.

Canada’s job market remained steady in December 2023, with the economy adding just 100 jobs and the unemployment rate holding steady at 5.8 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. The data agency said that employment was virtually unchanged from November, following an increase of 25,000 jobs the previous month. Employment growth slowed in the second half of 2023, averaging 23,000 per month, compared with the first six months of 2023, when it averaged 48,000 per month. At the same time, average hourly wages increased 5.4 per cent year-over-year, following a rise of 4.8 per cent in November. This is a significant increase in wages, which could help to offset the slower employment growth in the second half of the year.


Comments