Guyana raises minimum wage by 36%
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Starting today, private sector jobs in Guyana cannot pay their employees less than $60,147 per month, or roughly USD$288.
This is thanks to a new minimum wage being implemented by the Ali administration. The order was signed last week and came into effect today.
Effective July 1, 2022, Guyana's minimum wage will increase by 36% for private sector workers.
Guyana now joins several other Caribbean nations in raising wages for their workers amid overwhelming global inflation, outrageous increases in importation costs and economies recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Guyana is one of the nations leading the way in this regard, as its minimum wage increase was a high 36%.
The last time jobs in Guyana saw an increase in wages was back in 2017, when the minimum wage jumped from $34,500 to $44,200.
Minimum wage hikes for Caribbean jobs
Caribbean Employment Services Inc., the region’s leading online talent acquisition service, has been closely monitoring these developments over the past year.
We have noted that increasing the minimum wage has become almost a trend among Caribbean governing bodies.
Guyana's government has stuck to an aggressive agenda to secure gainful employment and decent wages for its citizens.
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Saba have all offered to increase workers’ wages this year.
Further, Bermuda and Anguilla were among the nations whose governments expressed their intention to reconsider workers’ wages in the future.
Guyana itself also raised wages of its sugar workers back in December of last year, and now its 36 percent increase is the highest being offered out of any of the other Caribbean nations.
As an organization that seeks to connect jobseekers with the best companies and opportunities in the Caribbean, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is happy that workers will be better able to eke out a respectable living thanks to these hikes.
Continued development of jobs in Guyana
Guyanese Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has largely been the government representative on the ground as thousands of part-time jobs have been rolled out across Guyana over the past several months.
In recent months, the Ali administration has demonstrated its commitment to improving jobs in Guyana.
This most recent wage hike is just another notch on the belt.
Over the past few months, the government has pursued an aggressive employment plan by creating thousands of part-time jobs for Guyana’s residents across several regions.
In those part-time jobs, Guyanese residents will be able to earn up to $40,000 or around USD$192 per month — not far off from the previous minimum wage rate for full-time jobs prior to the new increase.
Once again Guyana is to be commended for its efforts to ensure citizens are gainfully employed and able to make a living especially during challenging economic times.
Find the latest jobs in the Caribbean via Caribbean Employment Services Inc.