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

Hathaway

By The Canadian Press

# U5 v9 v3 I# q" G- S0 VEDMONTON - 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.

; Z4 u. R, x/ e% e* J5 PThat 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.

) y& ?4 A7 B9 W5 g# G- Q8 T. hAlberta'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.

+ k* k8 M5 k6 y; l8 hBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries.

" O2 z) I: `: {Employment 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.
$ i- m( o: G' g* o0 v% B2 |. ]
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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