The provincial government announced that the minimum wage will increase by 35 cents on April 1 to a rate of $15.65 per hour.
Halli Maillet is a third-year English student at St. Thomas University who works close to minimum wage at The Body Shop in Fredericton. She said that she didn’t have much of a reaction to the increase.
“I was just kind of like, ‘Oh, cool,’ but with the cost of everything else, is [this increase] really sustainable?”
Now because of the increase, she will be working at minimum wage after April 1.
Living off campus, Maillet said that working is a necessity to support herself, as well as being something she is passionate about doing.
She is concerned about the current cost of living in comparison to the current minimum wage rate.
“You can’t just raise the cost of everything else and just go on as you have before,” said Maillet. “If a bag of shredded cheese costs me $7, I shouldn’t be able to buy only two of those with an hour of work.”
The increases in minimum wage are regulated every year by the province’s annual consumer price index which compares the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services annually. It grew by 2.2 per cent in 2024.
The New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice is an organization that advocates for better social policies and more justice within our society. They have an ongoing campaign for the minimum wage to increase to $20 per hour in the province.
Chantal Laundry, a member of the Common Front’s executive committee, believes that it is clear that this increase is not enough.
She said when you compare the increase in groceries and lodging to the percentage increase of the minimum wage it “doesn’t make [living] more affordable.”
Working while studying at university is a “challenge at points,” according to Maillet, who said that attempting to balance both of them can be “frustrating” and “a struggle.”
“To get your degree you often have to work a part-time job,” said Maillet. “If cost of living and university costs are going to increase, minimum wage [workers] should be able to work in those jobs where [the rate of] minimum wage isn’t an issue.”
Laundry believes that the government should be even more encouraged to raise the minimum wage to support students in post-secondary education so they can focus more on their studies.
“Why not allow them to make more money so that they can pay off their student loans so that they can actually live and eat decent while they’re studying,” said Laundry.
Speaking to students, she encourages them to hold the government accountable and to ensure that their voices are heard with the struggles they face.
“You should be able to 100 per cent focus on schooling and being successful … your voice is just as valuable,” she said.
