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By The Canadian Press
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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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7 T0 k9 ~7 ?' X! ~4 b" h/ D1 gThat 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 $9.50 at the end of the month.
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2 A8 ?3 k& m$ L+ [9 o) i! C. v; M$ aAlberta's 40-cent per hour boost on April 1 may not seem like a lot in a province where the average hourly wage is $23.90. + E4 ?+ M* i) f$ g, N
V7 X/ w5 x: Y" J0 Q T; YBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. / X( v m, s8 b) P/ d7 q
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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. " s' h/ v0 ?; A& w# p2 @+ a
" _9 W- v+ n! t4 H6 \: {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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