Beyond austerity? Phased increase of the minimum wage in Portugal

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With the election of a new government, a policy debate emerged in Portugal regarding the phased increase in the minimum wage from EUR 505 to EUR 600 in 2019. For 2016, the amount was established at EUR 530, which was considered a very modest improvement by employees’ representatives and excessive by employers. One out of three Portuguese employees earns EUR 600/month or less.

Authors: Pedro Perista and Isabel Baptista