Minimum wage increase embraced in 9 regions

So far, the number of province-level administrative regions in China, which have improved the minimum wage this year or will do so next year, has stood at nine, after Fujian province announced recently it will raise its monthly minimum wage standard from next year, the Economic View reported on Nov 21.

According to incomplete statistics from the Economic View, by Nov 20, Beijing, Liaoning, Shanghai, Hunan, Chongqing, Shaanxi and Hebei had lifted the minimum wage standard, while Guizhou will carry out its new standard next month and Fujian next year.

Among the 31 province-level administrative regions, the monthly minimum wage in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Tianjin, Jiangsu and Zhejiang exceeds 2,000 yuan ($284.10), with Shanghai taking the lead over the country with a monthly minimum wage standard at 2,480 yuan.

But with 300 yuan improvement in both its first and second levels of the monthly minimum wage, Chongqing ranks first in terms of the amount of the increase among the nine regions this time. As of Jan 1, 2019, the municipality has been implementing an improved standard at 1,800 yuan and 1,700 yuan in terms of its first-level and second-level monthly minimum wage, respectively.

The regional differences in the minimum wage are largely attributed to diversified economic development. So the "gold standard" for the minimum wage is not equal.

The monthly minimum wages in most regions included the fees for social security and housing fund, but not in Beijing, Shanghai and Anhui, according to the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Anhui Province. In addition, per-capita disposable incomes are diversified. In some regions, the first level of the monthly minimum wage is even higher than the local per-capita disposable incomes.

China has mandated that the minimum wage level shall be evaluated at least every two or three years.