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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. , g4 }% x" |: _! K9 W/ Q/ ]' E S
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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. + K6 N' M/ b0 u
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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. # M Q+ J, c% G/ I
9 ?) T7 F/ I' y) pBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. 9 F1 P; J% O# {+ S: m6 Y# ]! D
" l! ~0 F- C( }2 J0 KEmployment 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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7 F# x- d* t+ I( X, @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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