Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke says minimum wage workers across the island can look forward to a ‘meaningful’ increase in pay in the next few weeks.

The last time the minimum wage was increased was in 2022; a historic task that saw wages move from $7,000 to $9,000 monthly, the highest increase ever recorded.

The minister made the announcement during his remarks at the opening of the 2023-2024 Budget Date in Parliament on Tuesday (March 7).

“We know that times are tough, and we know in today’s Jamaica that though there was an increase just a year ago, that $9,000 is an insufficient amount to live on in Jamaica, especially after the inflation shock last year,” said Clarke.

He added that the report from the National Minimum Wage Advisory Council was recently reported to Labour Minister Karl Samuda, who will make the official announcement in April 2023.

“This Government of which I had had the privilege to serve as Minister of Finance, has always prioritized the lives of the Jamaican people with a view to improving their living standards and to allow them to lead more meaningful lives,” said Clarke.

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