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

Hathaway

By The Canadian Press

- O: C. @, K4 M' K3 o' w# p! WEDMONTON - 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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7 s) e! }9 H7 R# U  {' d* m: UThat 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.
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: ]3 ~. p; j# x/ g) I: CBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries.
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: _, H' n, d5 H, @  f2 K7 z8 ZEmployment 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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9 `7 q! J5 Y2 O4 x2 z9 e1 OAlberta 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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