Halifax, October 1, 2026 — As Nova Scotia's minimum wage rises to $17.00 per hour today, CFIB continues to urge the Nova Scotia government to return to a once-a-year increase. Raising wages twice a year is not how businesses operate across the province.
Government's continued pressure on wage scales does not reflect the reality of the labour market. The Employment Standards Act should be changed to link minimum wage increases to increases in private sector wages.
If the province does not stop its twice-a-year increases, it risks pushing Nova Scotia's minimum-wage-to-median-wage ratio toward levels seen in countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico.
- Louis-Philippe Gauthier, Atlantic vice-president, Advocacy.
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Louis-Philippe Gauthier
CFIB Vice-President, Atlantic
506-961-5706
Louis-Philippe.Gauthier@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 103,000 members across every industry and region, including over 4,200 in Nova Scotia. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.
Print Article
Share Article