The Romanian government, on December 7, 2018, passed a decree-law increasing the legally guaranteed gross minimum wage.
The object of the regulatory measure
Decree Law 938/2018 published in the Official Gazette, and thus in force, stipulates that starting January 1, 2019, the minimum gross monthly salary will be 2,080 lei. An increase of 7.89 percent, compared to the 2018 level of 1,900 lei per month. So in light of the current euro/lei exchange rate, the minimum wage would stand at 447.50 lei per month.
In addition, the decree law introduces an exemption for personnel in professional categories that require a higher education degree and who have at least one year of work experience. In that case, the minimum gross salary (excluding bonuses) will increase from 2,080 lei to 2,350 lei per month, from 447.50 to 505.60 euros per month, respectively.
As much as the minimum wage increase aims to adjust the purchasing power of Romanian households, in the European Union landscape, Romania remains an attractive market for the labor intensive.
