Alberta is the only province to not raise the minimum wage this decade

Alberta is the only jurisdiction in Canada that has not seen a minimum wage increase this decade. We asked the province if it had plans to raise it.

While every other part of Canada saw a minimum wage increase in 2023 or is due for one this year, Alberta’s last increase was on October 1, 2018, when the minimum wage was set to $15 per hour.

The last update to Alberta’s minimum wage was in June 2019, when the province lowered it for students under 18 from $15 to $13 per hour, though with restrictions on overtime hours and school enrollment.

This is in contrast to everywhere else in Canada; earlier this week, it was announced that the federal minimum wage would reach $17.30 per hour, effective April 1, 2024.

According to the Retail Council of Canada, provinces and territories, including Nunavut, BC, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Yukon, will also see a minimum wage increase in 2024.

Every other province and territory, including neighbouring Saskatchewan, saw an increase in their minimum wage in 2023.

Retail Council of Canada

As the cost of living has climbed in the nearly six years since the last increase, and with Calgary and Edmonton seeing some of the fastest-growing rent prices in Canada, we asked the Alberta government if it had plans to raise the minimum wage, which there currently are not.

“Alberta’s government is constantly and carefully evaluating the appropriateness of the current minimum wage. We are committed to ensuring Alberta remains the best place to live, work and raise a family,” the Ministry of Jobs, Economy, and Trade told Daily Hive.

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“Our minimum wage earners have the third highest after-tax income in Canada. We have the lowest provincial income taxes in the country, the highest personal amount and no sales tax, meaning Albertans keep more of the money they earn.”

The most recent assessment of the province’s minimum wage came from an expert panel in March 2023. Following the panel’s conclusion, Brian Jean, minister of jobs, economy, and trade, stated at the time that Alberta had no plans to raise the minimum wage.