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By The Canadian Press( t$ c( E' v5 ^2 ?% B X
# {. w& g9 L: \# B/ l& C7 B( ]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 $8.80 per hour.
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( e9 Y$ d3 b% j3 O2 }, E. n' |# C8 oThat 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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But most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. # t3 H# [- |, ?' `- Y6 L
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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.
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. Q& E) a: ^5 |' uAlberta 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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