Alberta minimum wage increases today

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Minimum wage increases
to $9.40 an hour.

Minimum wages in Alberta increase today, September 1, 2011.  The hourly minimum wage for most employees increases from $8.80 an hour to $9.40 an hour.  Employees serving liquour as part of their regular job are entitled to $9.05 an hour, many salespersons are now entitled to a minimum of $376.00 a week, and domestic employees are entitled to $1,791 a month.

Certain categories of employees are exempt from the minimum wage requirements in the regulation. This exemption includes real estate brokers, securities sales persons, insurance sales persons paid entirely by commissions, approved students engaged in a work experience program or in an off-campus education program, film or video extras, farm employees, and counsellors or instructors at nonprofit recreational camps of various types.

 These are the first changes to Alberta's minimum wage since April, 2009.  According to www.shelfspace.ca, the rate changes will impact less than 1 per cent of the population, about 20,000 people, and even with the increase the minimum wage in Alberta is still the lowest in the country.

Click employment.alberta.ca for more detailed information about the specifics of the minimum wage increases and exemptions.