Alberta to boost minimum wage by 40 cent to $8.80/hr starting April 1.

Hathaway

By The Canadian Press
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' r6 U: ]7 B  d4 ZEDMONTON - 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.

$ D7 }0 R, _/ z' q0 K3 R' IThat 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.
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. F& T( v- ^! CAlberta's 40-cent per hour boost on April 1 may not seem like a lot in a province where the average hourly wage is $23.90.
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; B, l/ h7 R" T8 g3 q; X1 wBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries.
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4 f- V$ n) x( u) x3 H$ MEmployment 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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Alberta 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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