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

Hathaway

By The Canadian Press

+ X+ a2 `& @0 R  m9 NEDMONTON - 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.

& i- j* d" |$ p( o# xThat 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.
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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.

* {& `0 b) N  O6 `# A  c; CEmployment 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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1 y( y' b3 T& e$ S, o% H( WAlberta 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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