Alberta has lowest minimum wage in Canada as other provinces increase rates

As of Wednesday, minimum wage workers in five Canadian provinces are seeing a pay bump—but Alberta is not among them. With no increase since 2018, Alberta now holds the distinction of having the lowest minimum wage in the country.

Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island all raised their minimum wages this week, leaving Alberta’s rate at $15 per hour, unchanged for seven years.

When Alberta last adjusted its minimum wage in 2018, it was the highest in Canada. The decision not to raise wages has sparked criticism from workers and experts alike.

“It’s pretty discouraging and pretty terrible,” said one 22-year-old student currently job hunting. Another passerby called it “kind of ridiculous since we are one of the most prosperous right now.”

Premier Danielle Smith defended the province’s stance, citing concerns over job losses.

“When the NDP increased the minimum wage from $10 to $15, we saw mass layoffs of young people and in particular in rural Alberta,” she said Tuesday.

However, economists challenge that claim. Moshe Lander, a professor at Concordia University, argued that while some job loss may occur, it’s unlikely to be significant.

“It will create some, but not enough to justify her position that we can’t increase it,” he said.

Despite the stagnant provincial rate, the Retail Council of Canada notes that private sector wages in Alberta have risen.

“In fact, Alberta retail wages are higher than some provinces like Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and very close to B.C.,” said John Graham, the Council’s Director of Government Relations for the Prairie Region.

Still, labour advocates say that’s not enough. Gil McGowan, President of the Alberta Federation of Labour, emphasized that the province’s most vulnerable workers are being left behind.

“The minimum wage is supposed to be a floor that holds everybody up, but under the UCP government it’s become an anchor that is dragging everybody down,” he said.

According to the AFL, Alberta’s minimum wage should be closer to $20 per hour when adjusted for inflation—an increase they say is long overdue.