This spring Quebec's lowest-paid employees will get a raise.
Minimum wage is going up 50 cents, to $12.50 per hour on May 1, 2019.
For those who earn tips, the lowest pay will increase 25 cents to $10.05 an hour.
Fruit pickers will also see a pay increase this year. They'll earn at least $3.71/kg for raspberries, and $0.99/kg for strawberries.
Labour minister Jean Boulet said the increase in minimum wage will affect 288,200 people in the province, and he expects minimum wage will rise another 50 cents next year.
Last year minimum wage went up 75 cents to $12/hour, and at the time the Liberal government said minimum wage would likely reach $15 per hour in 2020.
More than 100 community groups and unions have been asking the province to increase Quebec's minimum wage to $15.
The average hourly wage in Quebec is $24.92/hour, which is a few dollars below the national average.
Quebec has one of the lowest incomes per capita in North America. In 2017 Quebec's Gross Domestic Product was US$39,000 per resident - higher than only the maritime provinces and the state of Mississippi.
The highest GDP in Canada is in Alberta, at US$60,000 per capita.
