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

Hathaway

By The Canadian Press
- g, ?+ O6 b" ~& [  e
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.

, _2 Y8 g" S* |That 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.

Alberta'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.

& @9 x" U, b. C/ E0 C7 J8 @" o: NBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries.
6 y0 i& p; G( ~/ O; r/ M8 F7 `% [
" ~: G  L0 `) q! |0 m8 BEmployment 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.

2 T- Y1 [, @& C" ?* C- o% @# GAlberta uses a formula to set the minimum wage each year, with increases calculated each spring using the average weekly earnings for all sectors.

miq

YZSUNNY

烟雨江南