"Among the questions addressed to us recently, inquiries about when the minimum wage will be increased predominate." Economist deputy Vuqar Bayramov said so in an interview with Medianews.az.
He stated that according to the amendments made to the Labor Code, the amount of the minimum wage will be reviewed at least once a year: "This means ensuring periodicity in the increase of the minimum wage. At the same time, the increases will be regulated by law. The increase in the minimum wage not only ensures raises for those receiving low salaries but also for all grades in the unified tariff scale. Specifically, the monthly tariff (position) salaries of workers employed in sectors financed from the state budget are increased within one month by adjusting them to the new amount after the minimum wage is raised. This includes the position salaries of non-civil servant workers employed in social, science, culture, youth and sports, agriculture, ecology and environmental protection, housing and communal services, transport and communication, land reclamation, water management, and fish farming sectors.
Salaries in the unified tariff scale are determined across 19 grades. Currently, the lowest salary is 400, and the highest is 1150 manats. The periodic increase of the minimum wage will practically apply to all grades. At this time, it does not matter specially whether the salary is below or above the minimum level. Overall, the increase in the minimum wage could cause salary increases for 700 thousand of our citizens."
Regarding when the increase will occur, V. Bayramov recalled that the Head of State approved the amendments to the Labor Code on February 23, 2026: "After the approval of these amendments, the minimum wage amount must be reviewed at least once a year. This means that within one year from the date the amendments were approved, the minimum wage amount will be reviewed and increased at least once. There may be more increases in certain years. It is especially important to consider that after the next increase in the minimum wage, the process will become more regular. Because the legislation stipulates that the minimum wage should be increased at least once a year."
Naile Gasimova,
Medianews.az