From July 1, 2023, the statutory minimum gross wage for full-time workers aged 21 and over will be: €1995 per month, €460,40 per week and €92,08 per day. The adjustment percentage was determined according to the 2023 contract wage growth rate (4,925%) and through statutory calculations. As we know, the increase in the minimum wage from January 1 of the current year was more significant and exceeded 10%.
Rules for determining the minimum wage
Minimum wages are expressed in monthly, weekly and (working) day amounts. The law does not yet establish a single minimum hourly wage. Now hourly pay may vary by sector, from the total number of hours worked per week at full time.
The statutory minimum wage is based on a full week's work. Usually this is 36, 38 or 40 hours per week depending on the sector. How long is the working week? in collective agreements (collective arbeidsovereenkomst - CAO). In supermarkets, for example, a full working week is 40 hours, in the hotel and restaurant sector and greenhouses it is 38 hours a week.
Table: Gross minimum wage per month, week and day from July 1, 2023:
| Age | Minimum wage | ||
| Per month
(in brackets - until July 1) |
In the week
(in brackets - until July 1) |
On the day
(in brackets - until July 1) |
|
| 21 and older | € 1995,00 (€ 1934,40) | € 460,40 (€ 446,40) | € 92,08 (€ 89,28) |
| 20 years | € 1596,00 (€ 1547,50) | € 368,30 (€ 357,10) | € 73,66 (€ 71,42) |
| 19 years | € 1197,00 (€ 1160,65) | € 276,25 (€ 267,85) | € 55,25 (€ 53,57) |
| 18 years | € 997,50 (€ 967,20) | € 230,20 (€ 223,20) | € 46,04 (€ 44,64) |
| 17 years | € 788,05 (€ 764,10) | € 181,85 (€ 176,35) | € 36,37 (€ 35,27) |
| 16 years | € 688,30 (€ 667,35) | € 158,85 (€ 154,00) | € 31,77 (€ 30,80) |
| 15 years | € 598,50 (€ 580,30) | € 138,10 (€ 133,90) | € 27,62 (€ 26,78) |
Table: Gross minimum hourly wage for a full week of 36, 38 and 40 hours from July 1, 2023
| Work week | Age | ||||||
| 21 and older | 20 years | 19 years | 18 years | 17 years | 16 years | 15 years | |
| 36 hours
(in brackets - until July 1) |
€ 12,79
(€ 12,40) |
€ 10,24
(€ 9,92) |
€ 7,68
(€ 7,45) |
€ 6,40
(€ 6,20) |
€ 5,06
(€ 4,90) |
€ 4,42
(€ 4,28) |
€ 3,84
(€ 3,72) |
| 38 hours
(in brackets - until July 1) |
€ 12,12
(€ 11,75) |
€ 9,70
(€ 9,40) |
€ 7,27
(€ 7,05) |
€ 6,06
(€ 5,88) |
€ 4,79
(€ 4,65) |
€ 4,19
(€ 4,06) |
€ 3,64
(€ 3,53) |
| 40 hours
(in brackets - until July 1) |
€ 11,51
(€ 11,16) |
€ 9,21
(€ 8,93) |
€ 6,91
(€ 6,70) |
€ 5,76
(€ 5,58) |
€ 4,55
(€ 4,41) |
€ 3,98
(€ 3,85) |
€ 3,46
(€ 3,35) |
Introduction of a minimum hourly wage
Since January 1 2024 year a minimum hourly wage will be introduced. Such payment will be the same for all employees, regardless of sector and total number of working hours per week in full employment. The basis for calculating the minimum hourly wage is a 36-hour work week. As a result, for industries with a working time of 40 hours a week, the minimum wage will increase significantly: from a few percent to 10%. At the same time, this situation creates a certain burden on small and medium-sized businesses (kleine en middelgrote bedrijven - MKB), so the government is already developing measures to compensate for it.
Publication Date: 22.05.2023
