New Brunswick’s minimum wage will rise to $15.65 per hour on April 1, marking a 35-cent increase from the current rate of $15.30.
Jean-Claude D’Amours, acting minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, stated that while the wage increase is important in addressing the cost of living, it is one of several measures to support workers in the province.
Last year, six per cent of the province’s workforce earned minimum wage, a decrease from 6.7 per cent in 2023. Among minimum wage earners, 56 per cent worked part time, and 32 per cent were between the ages of 15 and 19.
The wage adjustment follows New Brunswick’s consumer price index, which rose by 2.2 per cent in 2024. The rate is rounded to the nearest five cents.
“Our government understands that trying to get by on minimum wage is tough, and that’s why we are committed to promoting post-secondary education, strategic supports through WorkingNB that help connect and prepare people for better-paying jobs, and encouraging participation in apprenticeship through Skilled Trades NB,” said D’Amours.
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For decades, minimum wage has decreased because it hasn’t kept up with inflation.
New Brunswick’s consumer price index grew by 1.7 per cent in 2025, and .25 is 1.6 per cent of 15.65, so minimum wage is again less than it was the year before.
The government didn’t announce an increase today – they announced a decrease.
https://ftonindependent.substack.com/p/nb-minimum-wage-to-rise-in-spring