In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge explores the politics and economics of the province’s minimum wage policy.
Effective October 1st, Saskatchewan’s minimum wage rises to $15.35 per hour, leaving Alberta with the lowest minimum wage in the country. In fact, Alberta’s rate has been unchanged since 2018, when the Notley NDP completed their rapid push to $15 per hour. This roller coaster has seen Alberta quickly rise to having the highest minimum wage in the country, before sliding back down to now being the lowest.
But what should that number be, and how and when should the minimum wage change? Ultimately, what is the goal of minimum wage policy?
Our guest this week is Joseph Marchand, professor of economics at the University of Alberta and founding director of the Alberta Centre for Labour Market Research. In 2019, he was named chair of the province’s Expert Panel on Minimum Wage. We’ll get his insight on the impact of these big shifts in minimum wage policy and where we go from here.
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The Line: Alberta is a provincial bureau of The Line, edited by Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney. Email us at alberta@readtheline.ca.
