The increase in the minimum wage to 780 euros from 1 April affects a number of benefits, which increase proportionally in turn.

In more detail, the adjusted allowances are as follows:

1. Regular unemployment benefit

2. Special maternity benefit (Minimum wage)

3. Parental Leave Allowance (Minimum Wage)

4. Unemployment benefit (13 daily allowances)

5. Allowance for a three-month stay in the unemployment registers (15 daily allowances)

6. Released Allowance (15 daily allowances)

7. Work Allowance (20 daily allowances)

8. Insolvency of employer (Up to 3 salaries)

9. Builder’s seasonal (70% of 37 daily wages)

10. Seasonal emery (70% of 50 daily wages)

11. Seasonal for artists, theaters, tourism (70% of 25 daily wages)

12. Other seasonal (woodworkers – resin collectors, tobacco workers, potters-ceramists-brickmakers and shipyard employees): 70% of the 35 daily wages

13. Self-employment benefit (Monthly unemployment allowance)

14. Work allowance (50% of unemployment allowance)

15. Compensation of EPA Students. (75% of daily salary)

16. Internship allowance (80% of minimum wage)

17. Gaining work experience (Minimum salary)

18. Employment programs (Subsidy 50% – 90% of the minimum wage)

19. For working students participating in exams (30 daily wages for undergraduates / 10 daily wages for postgraduates)

Mr. Hatzidakis had earlier a meeting with the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at Megaros Maximos, during which it was announced that the minimum wage will rise to 780 euros from April 1st.

The Minister of Labor clarified that “with the minimum wage, 585,000 out of a total of 2.5 million workers who are in ERGANI are paid. They are reduced by 60,000 compared to 2021, which shows the dynamics of the economy as they now receive higher wages.”

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“Not only the minimum wage has increased in previous years but also the average wage. According to ERGANI, the average wages in relation to 2019 have increased by 12.1%, that is, above inflation” noted the Minister of Labor.

For the increase in the minimum wage, the following were taken into account:

  • The drop in unemployment
  • The competitiveness of the Greek economy which has improved in recent years
  • The recovery of the economy that will continue in 2023, at 2%

As Mr. Hatzidakis pointed out, “the third increase in the minimum wage means a 20% increase in the last two years. If we calculate the minimum wage on a 12-month basis and include gifts, as is done in most European countries, it is 910 euros. This increase means that compared to 2019, there is now a minimum wage of 152 euros more per employee”.

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Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized that until the end of March the business accounting they must have time to adjust their systems in order for the new minimum wage in the private sector to be implemented from April 1.

Among other things, Mr. Hatzidakis said that the clean bottomwith 14 salaries, in 2019 it amounted to 548 euros, now the employee will be left with 667 euros. With a 12-month payment, in 2019 the net minimum was 639 euros, while now it reaches 778 euros.

Employees will see in their pockets three additional net salaries compared to 2019 on an annual basis, Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized.

About the three years he said that they have been regulated in a certain way since 2012 and that the regime will change when unemployment drops from 10%, which depends on the country’s progress.

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The increase in the minimum wage drags the unemployment allowance down to 479 euros. When the Mitsotakis government took over it was at 399 euros, while until today it was at 438 euros.

A total of 19 allowances are involved, said Mr. Hatzidakis.

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Concluding, the Minister of Labor emphasized: “We are not celebrating, but we are not complacent either. We respond to its request for income support without disregarding the needs and capabilities of businesses. We got here because the economy is holding up, taxes and social security contributions have been reduced, the tax environment has been simplified and a message of seriousness has been sent to investors. We move forward not forgetting that we must keep in mind that there are no workers without businesses, but there are also no businesses with tile workers. We want development with social cohesion, we want a development dividend with a social dividend, this is what our today’s decisions serve.”

See in detail the new data created by the increase in the minimum wage

The full text of Hatzidakis announcements follows:

The increase in the minimum wage to 780 euros per month from April 1 is imposed by the increased needs of workers and is based on the dynamics that the economy has developed over the last four years. It is a significant and fair increase, which takes into account on the one hand the debt to support employees, especially in conditions of increased imported inflation, and on the other hand the endurance of businesses. This was pointed out by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, presenting today at a press conference the government’s decision to increase the minimum wage and daily wage to 780 euros and 34.84 euros, respectively, from April 1, after consultation with social and scientific bodies that preceded it.

Mr. Hatzidakis underlined that the following factors were taken into account when determining the minimum wage: unemployment, which fell from 17.5% in 2019 to 10.8% in January, the improvement in competitiveness resulting from the increase in investment and exports, the recovery of the economy which is expected to continue this year, the course of inflation which, although deescalating, will remain at high levels and Greece’s position in the European Union based on GDP and the level of the minimum wage.
He noted, however, that unemployment does not automatically fall. “It fell from 17.5 to 10.8% because a series of political and economic conditions came together, namely governmental stability, seriousness and a positive climate in the economy. If these do not exist, unemployment will rise again,” he stressed.

Presenting the government’s decisions on the minimum wage in more detail, Mr. Hatzidakis stated the following:

1. Evolution of the minimum wage: From 650 euros in 2019, it increased to 663 euros in January 2022, 713 euros in May 2022 and 780 euros from April 2023. Cumulatively, the increase is 20%. If the gifts and the leave allowance are taken into account (that is, the fact that 14 salaries are paid per year), the minimum wage on a twelve-month basis is 910 euros, or 152 euros per month more than in 2019.
2. Net earnings: The net salary after taxes and contributions becomes 667 euros per month (778 with gifts and leave allowance) from 548 euros in 2019 (639 with gifts and leave allowance). In total, minimum wage workers will receive three more net wages than in 2019 on an annual basis, as annual earnings rise from €7,667 in 2019 to €9,336 in 2023 (plus €1,669 or 21.8%).
3. Number of workers covered: Minimum wage workers are 585,000, down 60,000 from 2021. “This shows the momentum of the economy, as many workers who used to be paid the minimum wage are now getting higher wages,” underlined Mr. Hatzidakis. He also recalled that according to ERGANI data, average salaries in 2022 increased by 12.4% compared to 2019.
4. Triennials: They have been regulated since 2012 and four different governments have implemented this regulation. Those who had completed at least three years in their work by February 2012, have additional earnings which can reach up to 30% depending on the years of service.
5. Comparison with the EU: With the increase decided, Greece rises to 10th place among the 22 EU member countries that have a minimum wage, from 13th place previously. In terms of purchasing power, it rises to 13th place from 18th previously. “We are not celebrating, but the development shows that Greece has climbed several steps and that a serious governance with a dynamic economy can lead to even more positive results,” the minister emphasized.
6. Comparison with inflation: From 2019 to 2023, based on the projections for the path of inflation included in the state budget, the consumer price index increases by 15.1%. The minimum wage increase over the same period is 20%, i.e. 5 percentage points above inflation.
7. Pre-election commitments: New Democracy had made a pre-election commitment to double the minimum wage in relation to GDP. Since 2019 (since 2020 recession intervened, both in Greece and internationally due to the corona virus) we have a GDP increase of 6.5%, which means that the minimum wage increase is triple. “Not only did we keep the commitment but we went much further”, emphasized Mr. Hatzidakis.
The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs also referred to a series of measures in favor of workers implemented by the government due to the special conditions that prevail, such as the subsidy on the consumption of electricity and natural gas, the prepaid card for buying motor fuel, the market pass, the increased allowance heating, etc.
In response to a question about insurance contributions, Mr. Hatzidakis stated that the Prime Minister’s commitment to a further reduction is valid (in addition to the reduction of 4.4 units that has already been implemented). “The general application of the Digital Work Card will allow us to proceed in a much more structured way in reducing insurance contributions, as it will lead to delinquency control and more insurance material,” he emphasized. Besides, regarding the proposal of the president of SYRIZA for the minimum wage, Mr. Hatzidakis reminded that Mr. Tsipras proposed 800 euros until the autumn, while now he proposes 880 euros, surpassing the GSEE which proposed 826 euros. “In the most royal of the king, he appears more industrious than the workers. If we reached 880 euros, he would say that he meant 980. We cannot do serious politics this way,” the minister emphasized.

Concluding his presentation, Mr. Hatzidakis said: “We got here because the economy is holding up. And the economy is holding up because taxes and insurance contributions have been reduced, the licensing environment has been simplified and a message of seriousness and confidence has been sent to investors. We move forward not forgetting that there are no workers without businesses, but also that there cannot be businesses with tile workers. We want to combine development with social cohesion, development with social dividend. That’s what today’s minimum wage decisions are for.”