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.

& G" d* _. l, e5 \& @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.

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.

+ G6 ~3 m, @0 s. P  t6 fBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries.
4 M' Q4 L/ |& H
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.
+ x' t0 ~& e5 s2 E" c% V
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