Alberta to boost minimum wage by 40 cent to $8.80/hr starting April 1.

Hathaway

By The Canadian Press

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.
& v2 {, `9 C; {2 ?& y3 M& W7 q" [
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.
" s1 j2 ^5 U' w7 B; L
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.

But most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries.
0 }2 d2 a4 m# L1 N3 k- a9 e* d! p
9 v6 ~7 I* c- f% g& L; |) JEmployment 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.

Alberta uses a formula to set the minimum wage each year, with increases calculated each spring using the average weekly earnings for all sectors.

miq

YZSUNNY

烟雨江南