Rate set to rise to $16.40 per hour on Oct. 1
Manitoba’s minimum wage is set to rise to $16.40 per hour on Oct. 1, 2026, the provincial government has announced. The 40‑cent increase will lift the rate from the current $16 an hour for workers across the province.
The minimum wage is updated annually and is regulated through the Employment Standards Code. This year’s adjustment “reflects Manitoba’s 2025 inflation rate, rounded up to the nearest five cents,” the province said, noting that the automatic formula is designed to keep the wage floor in line with rising prices.
The new rate will apply broadly to most hourly employees in Manitoba, with specific exemptions and special rules still set out in provincial employment standards.
Ontario’s minimum wage is also set to rise again this fall, with the provincial government announcing the general rate will increase from $17.60 to $17.95 an hour on Oct. 1, 2026, a move it says will protect workers’ earning power while helping businesses plan for the future.
Overtime pay in Manitoba
Employees who work more than standard hours are also reminded of their entitlement to overtime premiums.
Standard hours of work in the province are 40 hours per week and eight hours per day. In most cases, employees who work more than the standard hours must be paid at the overtime wage rate.
“Employees who work overtime are entitled to be paid at 1 ½ times their regular wages for all overtime hours worked,” the province notes.
Employees are also entitled to an unpaid 30-minute break after five hours of consecutive work.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board recently ordered a company to pay a former dispatcher more than $185,000 for unpaid overtime and unlawful reprisal.
