Will the Minimum Wage Rise to $6? PM Says Talks Underway

Prime Minister John Briceño has stated that the government is in talks about raising the national minimum wage to $6 per hour.

Speaking on the Open Your Eyes morning show last Wednesday, Briceño said the potential increase is part of wider efforts to ease household expenses. “I understand the cry; I hear it. I see it. I walk the streets. I don’t just stay in the office; I’m all over this country,” he told viewers.

The Prime Minister noted that while the government cannot directly control the cost of imported goods, it has introduced several measures aimed at easing household expenses, including an increase in the income tax threshold to $29,000, expansion of free education, scholarship support, school feeding programmes, and ongoing grocery assistance initiatives. On wages, he added, “We hope to increase it shortly.”

Briceño also acknowledged concerns from the business community, recalling that employers warned of layoffs when the minimum wage last rose to $5. He said those fears did not materialise, largely because the economy was growing quickly at the time. With GDP expanding by 4.7% last quarter, Briceño described conditions as “pretty good” but cautioned that there is a limit to what businesses can absorb.

“The reality is that businesses can only pay what they can pay…We are a small open economy,” he said.

No timeline has yet been announced for a decision on any potential minimum wage adjustment. 

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