N.B. minimum wage to rise in spring
Provincial rate to climb to $15.90 per hour as of April 1, representing increase of 25 cents
Minimum-wage earners will see an extra quarter in their pockets per hour (less taxes) as the province is set to raise the rate this spring.
The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour issued a news release Wednesday morning, touting an impending increase to the minimum wage in New Brunswick
“The province’s minimum wage will increase to $15.90 per hour on April 1,” it said.
“This is an increase of 25 cents from the current rate of $15.65 per hour.”
Labour Minister Alyson Townsend touted it in the release as a “competitive” rate
“Workers in every wage bracket are important to a thriving economy,” she said.
“Many of the people earning minimum wage are students, either saving to continue their studies after high school or already pursuing a post-secondary education.”
The department noted that the number of people earning minimum wage declined recently, indicating that more are earning more than the minimum.
It said five per cent of all New Brunswick workers earned minimum wage in 2025, which is down from six per cent in 2024.
The department’s statistics indicate that almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of minimum-wage earners worked part time, with a little more than a third (35 per cent) of them are 15 to 19 years of age.
The province said its minimum-wage is indexed to New Brunswick’s consumer price index, rounded to the nearest five cents, and that index grew by 1.7 per cent in 2025.
The Fredericton Independent can be reached at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
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.