Albania and Kosovo pay less for their employees than in any other European country in terms of the minimum wage they are required by law. According to Eurostat data, at the beginning of 2020, the minimum gross wage in Albania was 213 euros. In Albania, according to INSTAT, there are over 320,000 people, or nearly a third of employees, who pay insurance with a minimum wage of 26,000.
Although the country's minimum wage has increased several times, it remains the lowest in Europe, with the exception of Kosovo. Its low level is also one of the reasons stated as a reason for the high tendency for emigration.
Eurostat data is not for Kosovo, but according to official data, the minimum wage currently in Kosovo is 130 euros for employees under 35 and 170 euros for those over 35. Whereas the request last year was to make this salary 250 euros, but it was not achieved. Kosovo's minimum wage has remained the same since 2011, with consumer prices rising.
In Northern Macedonia, the gross minimum wage is 282 euros, according to Eurostat. In Montenegro it is 331 eur. The highest minimum wage in the region is in Serbia, at 343 euros.
In general, minimum wages in the region are much lower than in European Union countries.
How minimum wages in Europe vary
As of 1 January 2020, 21 of the 27 European Union (EU) member states have national minimum wages: only Denmark, Italy, Cyprus, Austria, Finland and Sweden do not have a minimum wage.
According to Eurostat, monthly minimum wages are generally under â?¬ 600 east and over â?¬ 1,500 northwest of the EU
21 EU Member States that have national minimum wages can be divided into three main groups.
In January 2020, Bulgaria had the lowest gross salary (â?¬ 312) across the EU. Nine Member States, located mainly in the east of the EU, followed with minimum wages between â?¬ 400 and about â?¬ 600 per month: Latvia (â?¬ 430), Romania (â?¬ 466), Hungary (â?¬ 487), Croatia (â?¬ 546), Czech Republic (â?¬ 575), Slovakia (â?¬ 580), Estonia (â?¬ 584), Lithuania (â?¬ 607) and Poland (â?¬ 611).
In the other five member states, located mainly in the south of the EU, minimum wages ranged between â?¬ 700 and just over â?¬ 1,000 per month: Portugal (â?¬ 741), Greece (â?¬ 758), Malta (â?¬ 777). ), Slovenia (â?¬ 941) and Spain (â?¬ 1 050).
In the remaining seven Member States, all located west and north of the EU, minimum wages were over â?¬ 1 500 per month: France (â?¬ 1 539), Germany (â?¬ 1 584), Belgium (â?¬ 1 594) , The Netherlands (â?¬ 1 636), Ireland (â?¬ 1 656) and Luxembourg (â?¬ 2 142).
By comparison, the federal minimum wage in the United States was â?¬ 1 119 per month in January 2020.
Source: Monitor
