Alberta to raise minimum wage to $10.20 in September
Liquor server minimum wage will also increase to $9.20
The Alberta government announced today that the general minimum wage will be raised to $10.20 on Sept. 1.
Minimum wage facts
- 25,700 individuals, or 1.5 per cent of employees in Alberta, earn minimum wage.
- 6.8 per cent earn minimum wage nationally, with 9.1 per cent in Ontario.
- Government policy specifies a $1 differential between the general minimum wage and the liquor server rate to account for the tips generally earned by liquor servers.
The liquor server minimum wage will also increase to $9.20 from $9.05 an hour at that time.
Alberta is the last province to hit the $10 general minimum wage barrier.
“While Alberta has the lowest percentage of employees earning minimum wage in the country, these individuals form an important part of our workforce," said Kyle Fawcett, the minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour, in a release.
"Many work in the service and retail sectors and are gaining the experience they need to succeed. These changes will give them a modest increase while keeping the viability of their employers in mind as well.”
The increase is based on a formula used since 2011 that links the general wage to annual increases in Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Alberta.
The province says the AWE rose 3.3 per cent in the last year, while the CPI rose 1.4 per cent.
"When Alberta’s high personal exemption and low tax rates are factored in, the new general minimum wage ranks second highest in Canada, after Ontario," said the province in a release.
Employers and employees with questions about minimum wages can contact the Employment Standards Contact Centre at 1-877-427-3731 or visit the Work Alberta website.
