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

Hathaway

By The Canadian Press

9 m& v* p& C2 q$ X* T5 M- h' REDMONTON - 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.

6 c7 i0 L% A0 r7 y7 `: vThat 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.

# _' |5 z; ~9 Y3 d. jAlberta'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.

But most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries.

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.

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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