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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...

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TSX Futures Plunge Amid Global Market Sell-Off

 

Futures for Canada’s main stock index, the S&P/TSX, fell sharply on Friday as investors braced for crucial U.S. payrolls data amidst a global market downturn. The September futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 1.0% early in the morning.

The decline follows weaker-than-expected factory data from the U.S. on Thursday, which heightened fears of an economic slowdown and negatively impacted investor sentiment worldwide. Additionally, disappointing earnings reports from major tech companies like Intel and Amazon.com contributed to a sell-off in tech shares across markets.

Despite the overall downturn, an uptick in commodity prices helped limit the declines. Oil prices saw a slight increase, and gold was poised for its biggest weekly jump in four months.

Investors are keenly awaiting the U.S. non-farm payrolls data, expected to provide further insights into the state of the American economy. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index had ended 1.7% lower on Thursday, marking its biggest daily decline since February.

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