The Minimum Wage in Saskatchewan In 2022
Publié le 7 October 2022
There is a large increase to the minimum wage in Saskatchewan in 2022, affecting thousands of people earning what was previously the lowest minimum wage in the country.
There are drastic changes coming to the minimum wage in Saskatchewan in 2022 and beyond. This is positive news for workers in the province, but also a sign of continued economic trouble affecting people employed in all industries and job sectors.
What is the Minimum Wage in Saskatchewan in 2022?
Effective October 1st, 2022, the minimum wage in Saskatchewan is $13.00 per hour. At the start of the year, the Saskatchewan minimum wage was $11.81 per hour, which was the lowest minimum wage of any Canadian province. This increase is $1.19 per hour, a raise of 10.07%. This is much larger than the $0.36 cent raise to the 2021 minimum wage in Saskatchewan of $11.45 per hour.
The provincial government did not stop there, however, and further announced plans for the minimum wage in Saskatchewan to rise to $14.00 per hour in 2023 and $15.00 per hour in 2024. This means that in the span of two years, the minimum wage in Saskatchewan will rise more than 27%.
According to officials, this is a readjustment that moves away from their traditional reliance on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and average hourly wage in the province. The goal is to create a minimum wage that better reflects the needs of Saskatchewan’s workers.
What About The Alternative Minimum For Tip-Earners?
Certain provinces in Canada have an official minimum wage for those employed in jobs where they can earn tips and extra gratuities. While once common, this practice has been almost eliminated in recent years, with Ontario being the latest province to remove the alternative minimum wage. Saskatchewan does not have an official alternative minimum wage rate, but there are jobs where workers in the province are allowed to be paid below the minimum wage. These include:
- Farm and ranch labourers
- Certain care providers in private homes
- Volunteers at non-profit organizations
- Organizations with programs that are educational, therapeutic or rehabilitative
Due to the fact that there is no official alternative minimum wage rate applied to these positions, they are not affected by the increase to the minimum wage in Saskatchewan in 2022.
What Is The Average Salary In Saskatchewan?
The average salary in Saskatchewan was $57,943.08 per year at the end of 2021. The average salary can differ widely between different industries and job sectors in the province. At the new Saskatchewan minimum wage of $13.00 per hour, a person working 37.5 hours per week will earn $25,350 in a 12-month period before taxes.
What Is The Living Wage In Saskatchewan?
The minimum wage rate in Saskatchewan in 2022 is below the living wage in certain parts of the province, even after the latest increase. The living wage is defined as the actual hourly wage rate or salary required to meet the costs of living in specific areas. A recent report found that the living wage in Regina — the capital city of Saskatchewan — is $16.23 per hour, and the living wage in Saskatoon — the most populated city in the province — is $16.89 per hour. While some regions of the province will have a lower living wage, the living wage rate in the two biggest cities in Saskatchewan is almost three-and-a-half dollars more than the current minimum wage.
Does It Keep Pace With Inflation?
In Saskatchewan, the rate of inflation was recorded as 8.1% in July 2022, which is higher than the national average of 7.6% in the rest of the country during the same month. While the 2022 increase to Saskatchewan’s minimum wage of 10.07% would seem to outpace inflation, the fact remains that this increase is coming after people have been paying inflated prices for several months. Coupled with the fact that Saskewan has historically offered the lowest minimum wage in Canada, the wage rate has not kept pace with inflation for several years.
The minimum wage in Saskatchewan in 2022 is increasing to $13.00 per hour, with further increases to $14.00 and $15.00 over the next two years. This will greatly help minimum wage earners in the province, but rising inflation, increasing cost of living and the fact that Saskatchewan’s minimum wage remains the lowest in Canada will continue to be challenges to workers.
