Rio de Janeiro reviews 2026 regional minimum wage proposal

The Rio de Janeiro State Government has received a proposal for the 2026 regional minimum wage adjustment. The document, sent by the Secretariat of Labor and Income (Setrab), is now under review by the Casa Civil. The state's regional minimum wage has not been adjusted since 2018, which workers claim has resulted in a real loss of purchasing power exceeding 50%.

The proposal follows long-standing discussions within the State Council of Labor, Employment, and Income (Ceter/RJ). While the council debates the figures, the Executive Branch holds the authority to forward the proposal to the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly (Alerj) for a vote.

On a national level, the Brazilian government has projected a national minimum wage of R$ 1,717 for 2027 in its Budget Guidelines Bill (PLDO). This represents an estimated increase of R$ 96 over the 2026 value. However, this figure remains significantly lower than the R$ 8,110.92 estimated by DIEESE as the amount necessary to cover the basic expenses of a family of four.