Taiwan Labor Minister signals high chance of minimum wage increase

Taiwan's Ministry of Labor is set to convene the Minimum Wage Deliberation Committee to determine wage adjustments for the upcoming year. Labor Minister Hung Shen-han indicated there is a high probability that the monthly minimum wage will exceed 30,000 TWD and the hourly rate will surpass 200 TWD.

Currently, the minimum monthly wage stands at 29,500 TWD with an hourly rate of 196 TWD. There is a significant gap between the proposals from labor and employer groups. Employers have suggested a reasonable increase of approximately 3%, while labor groups are advocating for a 7.77% increase, arguing that the adjustment should fully account for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth and economic growth rates.

Minister Hung noted that the decision is not a simple average of the two sides' proposals but a process of debate and consensus-building among labor, management, government, and academic representatives. He highlighted that with the CPI entering an inflationary zone, low-income workers face increased living pressures, supporting the need for a meaningful adjustment.