The Jordanian Labor Watch affirmed that the government’s decision to increase the salaries of public sector employees, as well as civil and military retirees whose salaries are below JOD 600, by JOD 30 per month, represents a positive and important step in the right direction. This is particularly significant after many years of wage stagnation, during which living costs have continued to rise and the purchasing power of a wide segment of citizens has declined.
اضافة اعلان
The Labor Watch, affiliated with the Phenix Center for Economic Studies, explained that this increase will help alleviate the economic pressures facing low-income workers and retirees. It will also strengthen their levels of social protection and send an important message about the need to restore the centrality of wage policies as a key tool for protecting living standards and stimulating domestic demand.
The Labor Watch called for the effects of this step to be extended to workers in the private sector by reconsidering wage levels, particularly the minimum wage, in a manner consistent with the increase granted to public sector workers and retirees, and in a way that enhances fairness among different categories of workers. It noted that keeping private sector wages at low levels is inconsistent with the accumulated increases in prices and does not provide the minimum acceptable conditions for a decent standard of living.
The Labor Watch stated that the latest adjustment to the minimum wage came into effect at the beginning of 2025. However, the economic and living conditions that the country has witnessed since then have made it necessary to review and raise it again. Prices of many basic food items, fuel, and other goods and services have continued to rise in recent months as a result of rapidly evolving regional developments and their economic repercussions, which have directly affected transportation costs and price levels in the markets.
The Labor Watch stressed that any wage increase must be accompanied by effective government measures to regulate markets and strengthen price monitoring, in order to prevent monopolistic practices or unjustified price increases that could absorb the positive impact of these increases on the incomes of workers and retirees. It explained that previous experiences have shown that unjustified price hikes often accompany wage increase decisions, leading to an erosion of the real value of the increase and limiting its ability to improve living standards and achieve its social and economic objectives.
In conclusion, the Labor Watch emphasized that improving wages, reviewing them periodically, and linking them to inflation rates, alongside strengthening market and price oversight, constitute essential pillars for protecting citizens’ purchasing power, enhancing social protection, and supporting economic and social stability.
