Starting in July, the minimum monthly wage in Taiwan will be raised to NT$20,008 (US$648) from the current NT$19,273 (US$624). Minimum hourly pay will be adjusted from NT$115 to NT$120 (US$3.72 to US$3.88).
Labor Minister Chen Hsiung-wen said Tuesday that a review committee will hold another meeting in August for scholars to discuss the formulas for calculating the minimum wage.
When asked whether the minimum wage will be adjusted again next year, Chen said it depends on economic data.
“[Whether or not the minimum wage is adjusted] is normally decided in the third quarter," said Chen.
"We would probably use data from the first and second quarters of this year and the third and fourth quarters of last year to do different types of calculations. We will not come to any conclusions before the review committee meeting officially takes place.”
Meanwhile, the monthly wage for foreign housekeepers is set at NT$15,840 (US$513), which is lower than the minimum wage in Taiwan. The figure has not been adjusted for the past ten years, even though Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines have called for an increase. The labor minister said that authorities would have to first communicate with the workers’ employers. However, he said that the monthly wage of foreign workers is not linked to the minimum wage in Taiwan.