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Does Alberta even NEED a minimum wage? Effective September 1, the lowest wage a worker in Alberta can receive is $9.40 per hour, or $9.05 for servers of alcohol (where tips account for a large share of total earnings). The new minimum wage rate—an increase of 6.8% for general workers and a 2.8% increase for liquor servers—represents the first increase in the province since April 2009. The change will impact about 20,000 people, less than 1% of the current job market of 2.1 million workers. Even with the increase, Alberta’s minimum wage is still the lowest in the country.
2 Comments
9/12/2011 03:45:15 am
I wonder where these 20,000 people are located - in the major urban areas or in the rural smaller towns. The cost of living is dramatically different between the two in Alberta. I can't imaging anyone having quality of life earning $9.40 per hour in Calgary or Edmonton, but is a small town it might be OK. Do we need a minimum wage? We need to protect our working poor and help them have an opportunity to rise above their situation. Maybe other programs like sponsored education and more child care support would go further than increasing the minimum wage for these people.
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G. Wilton
9/29/2011 03:14:42 am
I believe if some common ratios are applied to the minimum wage amount, it is clear that the minimum wage needs to be raised. Some people think it should be (at a minimum) possible for Albertan's to live in any municipality in the province that they choose (I say just *live* on their minimum wage, not live free or be entitled). According to many figures, a Maximum of 25% of income should be spent on housing. With a minimum wage of 9.40, that equates to $19,552 per year in income. A single person with no dependents might pay approximately 1500 in taxes, netting to $18,052, 25% of which is $4513, or a monthly housing cost of $376 per month. I'm sure there there are ratios or figures above that people might want to adjust to be more "realistic", but in general, it is possible to look at the cost of 1 room or bachelor apartments or even basement suites in Calgary or Edmonton, the availability and price of these accomodations, and back calculate what the minimum wage should be based on commonly accepted household budgeting. May I blow the doors off Alberta's existing minimum wage and hazard an estimate of 19 dollars per hour to align with our housing costs?
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