The National Minimum Wage is to be increased by 15 per cent to $15,000 per 40-hour work week from the current $13,000 per week, effective June 1, 2024.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement on Thursday as he wrapped up a near four-and-a-half-hour-long Budget Debate presentation in the House of Representatives.
“I’m pleased to announce a further increase to the minimum wage…,” the prime minister said to applause in the House.
He also announced that the minimum wage for industrial security guards is to be increased by $1,000 to $15,000 per week as of June 1.
The Government had signalled that there would be no more difference in the national minimum wage and that paid to industrial security guards when it granted the last increase that took effect on June 1, 2023.
On that occasion, the National Minimum Wage was moved from $9,000 per week to $13,000, an increase of 44 per cent, the biggest movement in 20 years.
The rate for industrial security guards was moved from $10,500 to $14,000 per week at the time.
The prime minister said the Government thought carefully about the increase, and thought it was necessary “to keep our working class and our poorest abreast with inflation”.
He told the House that during campaigning for the February 26 Local Government Election, it was made clear that “many of our working poor were having it really, really difficult”.
