Karen Cross says it is the economic uncertainty that is concerning businesses.
It's been two weeks since Ontario's minimum wage increased to $17.95 an hour.
Businesses in Kingston have so far been able to handle this most recent increase.
Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce CEO Karen Cross says the hike in the minimum wage comes as businesseses are already dealing with the economic uncertainty in Canada.
The minimum wage went up 2.4 percent or 35 cents on October 1. It has gone up by $3.95 since 2018.
Many groups have argued that businesses can't continue to operate if they have to give their employees the minimum wage. There are others who point to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which was first introduced in 1991, as an example of how businesses have been able to navagate through an added expense.
Cross says it is important that businesses succeed but also have a workforce that can make decent living.
Cross says the challenge for businesses in Kingston is the unknown and how difficult it will be for them to try and navagate through that.
The increase in the minimum wage is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Province says it delivers on the government’s plan to protect and support workers while keeping Ontario competitive in the face of U.S. tariffs.
Story by Ken Hashizume
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