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By The Canadian Press
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/ ^3 K: {' D8 F( g2 SEDMONTON - 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. ) J& O" q) `" G1 |( G/ h; A1 x
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That 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. 2 T# u4 C" P+ f v7 M
7 H# U1 c0 P* L! d" nBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. 1 F* i5 Z! b) e* [
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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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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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