The NDP Opposition is calling on the Yukon government to raise the territory’s minimum wage to $10 per hour.
The Yukon’s minimum wage, currently $9 per hour, is set to rise to $9.27 in April to match inflation. That remains “shamefully low,” said the NDP’s Kevin Barr.
“At nine bucks an hour, the Yukon has the lowest minimum wage in Canada—add 27 cents and we’d still be the lowest,” he told the legislature on Tuesday. “Six provinces and territories are at $10 or more, with Nunavut the highest at $11. New Brunswick’s rate will jump to $10 on April 1.”
Barr called on Community Services Minister Elaine Taylor to raise the minimum wage to $10, but she said that would be jumping the gun.
In late November, she asked the employment standards board to review the territory’s minimum wage.
“That work is currently underway,” said Taylor. “We recognize the shortfalls of Yukon’s minimum wage, and we are very much committed to adhering to the recommendations of the board.”