65 percent of private sector workers earn around the minimum wage
The Research Center of the Confederation of Turkish Revolutionary Trade Unions (DİSK-AR) published the ‘2023 Minimum Wage Reality Survey’. According to the report, 65 percent of private sector workers are paid around the minimum wage.
In the report prepared by DİSK-AR, it was announced that 21.7 percent of workers in the private sector could not reach the minimum wage. In addition, it was reported that the rate of those who work at the minimum wage or less in the private sector is 50.4 percent, and the rate of those who work around the minimum wage (10 percent or more) is 64.7 percent.
On the other hand, the report emphasized that the average wage has become the minimum wage. In 2012, the gross minimum wage increased from 44 percent of the average gross wage to 53 percent in 2016 and 73 percent in 2020.
INFORMAL EMPLOYEES DO NOT EARN MINIMUM WAGES
The proportion of unregistered workers who received the minimum wage or less was 84 percent. On the other hand, it was determined that 23 percent of informal workers earned less than 1,500 TL.
55 PERCENT OF WOMEN HAVE A MINIMUM WAGE
In the report, it was found that the majority of women work for minimum wage or less. While the rate for those earning 10 percent or so of the minimum wage was 48.7 percent overall, it was 55.6 percent for women.
WE ARE THIRD IN EUROPE
While there were 12 countries with a lower minimum wage than Turkey in 2012, this number dropped to 2 in 2022. Two countries with lower minimum wages than Turkey are Bulgaria and Albania.
DECREASED UNDER 25 FROM UNDER 9
In addition, the minimum wage decreased in dollars and gold. According to the Central Bank’s annual average Republican gold prices, 25 gold can be bought with the annual minimum wage in 2003, while in 2022 only 9 Republican gold can be bought with the net annual minimum wage.
The minimum wage increased from $371 per year in 2008 to $430 in 2016. Then, due to economic and political instability, the minimum wage began to drop in dollars. With the acceleration of TL depreciation, the minimum wage decreased to 298 USD on average in 2022.