Starting April 1, the hourly rate will increase to $15.90, up 25 cents from the current $15.65. The adjustment follows the province’s established formula, which ties minimum wage to the consumer price index (CPI).
Credit: Emilie-Iggiotti/Tourism New Brunswick
In 2025, the CPI grew by 1.7 per cent, and the new rate has been rounded to the nearest five cents, as required under the indexing approach.
Labour Minister Alyson Townsend said maintaining a competitive wage floor is part of supporting economic productivity across the province. She noted that employees at every pay level contribute to overall growth.
Recent figures show that five per cent of employees in New Brunswick earned minimum wage last year, a slight drop from six per cent in 2024. The workforce earning that rate is largely part time, accounting for 64 per cent of minimum wage earners. Age is also a factor: 35 per cent were between 15 and 19 years old.
Townsend noted that many of those workers are students, either putting money aside for post-secondary education or already enrolled. She framed the increase as an investment in the province’s future workforce.
Compared with other jurisdictions, New Brunswick’s updated rate remains mid-range. British Columbia’s minimum wage is $17.85 per hour as of June 1, 2025, while Ontario’s is $17.60 effective October 1, 2025. Alberta has held its general minimum wage at $15 per hour since June 26, 2019, with a $13 rate for students under 18. In Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island both sit at $16.50 as of October 1, 2025, while Newfoundland and Labrador is at $16 per hour.
Nunavut has the highest territorial rate at $19.75 per hour, effective September 1, 2025. The federal minimum wage is $17.75.
The new $15.90 rate will take effect across New Brunswick on April 1.