FOLLOWING several appeals from trade unionists, minimum wage earners will receive an additional $2,000 every 40-hour work week beginning April 1, 2022. The new $9,000 weekly price floor is a legal minimum payment set by the Government, of which employers can exceed but legally they should not fall below.

The 28.57 per cent increase in the minimum wage has been met with public scrutiny, along with gratitude. The outrage by the public mainly highlights the sparse increase in wages when compared to the country’s exchange rate. However, the USD is not Jamaica’s centralised currency, so the urge to compare the minimum wage increase and the USD conversion has deflected from more critical conversations. A better basis of comparison is the magnitude of the increase, whether it is a real increase versus a nominal increase.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-observer/how-is-the-minimum-wage-determined-_246334