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By The Canadian Press" E' j( @# L X, M
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EDMONTON - Alberta's lowest wage earners will get a bit of a break next month as the minimum wage increases by five per cent to $8.80 per hour.
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/ P7 p7 Z2 u0 H. @4 ] Y; XThat rate is pretty much in the middle of the pack compared to other provinces, with Ontario leading the nation with a rate that will jump to $9.50 at the end of the month. 4 r) R# L/ c" x* r+ Q0 x+ q
: D \4 P. S, ]: c* F& N1 {. PAlberta's 40-cent per hour boost on April 1 may not seem like a lot in a province where the average hourly wage is $23.90.
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# Y3 J5 f3 v7 l- C. i4 SBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. 6 {2 ]' e* r3 B- R% X7 j
4 i4 ~& \1 y6 Z$ G* p3 H3 gEmployment Minister Hector Goudreau says while most people earn much more than the minimum wage, the province didn't want to forget about those in lower-income occupations.
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8 U6 Q6 I, M7 f' \6 w' X! XAlberta uses a formula to set the minimum wage each year, with increases calculated each spring using the average weekly earnings for all sectors. |
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