On October 1 the minimum wage in Saskatchewan increased to $10.72 a 2% increase. Although this will have an impact on labour cost for businesses in Swift Current the majority who hire lower paid workers, they have already made the adjustment or are paying above minimum wage right now.

Michel Deguire, Owner operator of Canadian Tire in Swift Current, said, “We’ve long been above minimum wage on hiring any of our personnel because to compete and get quality staff. Minimum wage, it’s a number we know is out there but we, but we never use. For us it has no impact, even for students that start off, will start off above minimum wage, and we accelerate the experience they get in the store.”

Matt Nicholson, the owner-operator of Smitty’s Restaurant and Lounge, said, “It never really has a big impact on our business people just make a little more money, people deserve to make more money. Nobody likes to see their cost go up but it’s a fact of life, we all have to live. We have menus that come out twice a year that have mild increases to factor in all kinds of different things like food costing to labour again it’s just something you absorb and you move on. We don’t have a substantial amount of people who are on minimum wage. Some of our service people are, basically everybody else it’s almost impossible to pay minimum wage as it’s a competitive environment.”

The minimum wage is reviewed in and announced on or before June 30 of each year. The new rate will start on October 1 of the same year. This allows for businesses to prepare for the increase expenses. It also wants to make sure Saskatchewan workers do not fall behind other provinces. Manitoba currently pays $11.00 per hour for its minimum wage and Alberta is at $11.20. The Alberta government is promising to raise their minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by 2018. An increase of 33.9% in two years