September 28 (SeeNews) - Romania will raise the gross minimum wage to 3,300 lei ($698/663 euro) from 3,000 lei, starting October 1, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday.
The government wants to further raise the minimum wage in 2024, too, Ciolacu added.
"The calculations released earlier today by the Ministry of Finance indicate that with the implementation of health insurance for all employees, irrespective of their occupation, the minimum net wages for those working in construction, agriculture, and the food industry might have seen a decline. I [...] made a commitment that this scenario would not occur, and I firmly oppose it. It is our stance that no minimum net wage should see a reduction," Ciolacu added.
The previous increase in the minimum gross wage took place in December 2022, when the government increased it from 2,550 lei to 3,000 lei.
Romania's workforce is estimated to have reached 8.27 million people in 2022, up from 8.21 million in 2021.