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By The Canadian Press
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( u$ N4 u9 a" CEDMONTON - 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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' q: G7 K w3 H. ]% _1 mThat 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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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. f6 |6 n) ^. D9 w- J0 K0 M
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But most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. 3 F& R- D& L& T8 N. Z/ I4 t
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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. % j& P4 ~7 N M/ `/ W
8 E4 m0 ^. |8 {9 ]; ?0 S+ zAlberta 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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