Labour and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameus and National Economy and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakiswill propose a new increase to the minimum wage on Thursday during a Cabinet meeting, marking the sixth rise since 2022.
The new wage increase will take effect on 1 April and reflects the performance of the Greek economy and the capacity of businesses across sectors. The government continues to target a minimum wage of €950 by 2027.
The minimum wage has risen gradually from €650 in 2019 to €880 today, representing a total increase of 35.4%. On an annual basis, this corresponds to €3,220 gross, meaning employees earning the minimum wage currently receive the equivalent of five additional monthly salaries compared with 2019 levels.
Sources familiar with the economic team’s calculations stated that the cumulative increases in the minimum wage exceed inflation over the same period, indicating that real income for low-paid workers has strengthened.
The same sources noted that repeated wage increases have not affected the downward trend in unemployment. According to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority, unemployment stood at 7.7% in January, the lowest level since 2008 and 2.1 percentage points lower than the 9.8% recorded a year earlier. Data from the ERGANI information system shows that more than 563,000 private-sector jobs were created between 2019 and 2025. Employment exceeded 4.4 million people in January, marking a 16-year high.
Government sources described the increase as part of a broader framework aimed at strengthening disposable income. Measures include the National Social Agreement on collective bargaining, increased declared overtime through the digital work card, reductions in tax rates for low and middle incomes and cumulative cuts of 5.4 percentage points in social security contributions.
In 2025, employees declared 2.7 million more overtime hours compared with the previous year. One of the first collective labour agreements signed after the National Social Agreement covered the food service sector, one of Greece’s largest employers, providing wage increases of up to 25% above the minimum wage.
The minimum wage increase will also raise several social benefits, including unemployment support, maternity allowance, seniority-based allowances and parental leave benefits. The measure will also affect public sector salaries, as public servants’ earnings now adjust proportionally to minimum wage increases, meaning higher pay from April payrolls.
greekcitytimes.com.
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