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By The Canadian Press1 v' X' z+ D# J5 Z; I
2 |. B# a5 T7 `9 K( K( |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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& `6 q3 ?) w+ K- P8 l; BThat 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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; G( Z% B6 `/ O: GAlberta's 40-cent per hour boost on April 1 may not seem like a lot in a province where the average hourly wage is $23.90. ; R- C$ F& d% v- R
$ a# g6 i d& G1 U. h0 ^But most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. / Y; [0 }+ S2 B. ~' c9 G6 o1 \8 D
; I6 t7 f/ ]- g7 MEmployment 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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