Poland: minimum wage to rise almost 15% in 2023

In 2023 Poland’s government will raise the national minimum wage twice. Currently set at PLN 3,010 (€657) per month, the national minimum wage will rise to PLN 3,383 (€740) in January 2023 and then again to PLN 3,450 (€753) in July 2023, making an overall increase of 14.6 percent. The measure will be formalized by 15 September after it has been submitted to the Social Dialogue Council, which includes both employers’ and unions’ representatives. This increase will place Poland’s monthly minimum ahead of that of Hungary and Lithuania (currently €707 and €730 respectively), and not very far behind that of Greece, where it is currently €773 (c.f. article No.13080). While this double increase for 2023  follows a 7.5% increase agreed for 2022, the minimum wage still falls short of the PLN 4,000 (€874) promised by president of the ruling Law and Justice party Jarosław Kaczyński, in the run-up to the most recent parliamentary elections in 2019. This minimum wage announcement comes as national inflation reached 14% in May, a level not seen since 1998, according to an estimate by a statistical institute cited by Reuters. The current minimum wage just meets the recommended minimum rate of 50% of the average wage that would be introduced if the European Directive on adequate minimum wages is adopted (c.f. article No. 13084).