09-06-2026
Amman, June 9, 2026
Jordan Labor Watch stated that the government’s decision to increase the salaries of public sector employees and civilian and military pensioners earning less than JOD 600 per month by JOD 30 monthly represents a positive and important step in the right direction. The organization noted that the measure comes after many years of wage stagnation, during a period marked by steadily rising living costs and a decline in the purchasing power of a large segment of citizens.
Jordan Labor Watch explained that the increase will help alleviate the economic pressures faced by low-income workers and pensioners, strengthen their social protection, and send an important message about the need to restore the central role of wage policies as a key tool for protecting living standards and stimulating domestic demand.
The organization called for the benefits of this measure to be extended to workers in the private sector through a review of wage levels, particularly the minimum wage, in a manner consistent with the increase granted to public sector employees and pensioners. Such a move, it argued, would contribute to greater fairness among different categories of workers. Jordan Labor Watch stressed that maintaining private sector wages at low levels is incompatible with the cumulative rise in prices and fails to provide acceptable conditions for a decent standard of living.
The organization noted that the latest adjustment to the minimum wage came into effect at the beginning of 2025. However, the economic and living conditions that have evolved since then make it necessary to review and raise it once again. Prices of many essential food items, fuel, and other goods and services have continued to increase in recent months due to rapidly unfolding regional developments and their economic repercussions. These developments have directly affected transportation costs and overall price levels in the market.
Jordan Labor Watch emphasized that any wage increase should be accompanied by effective government measures to regulate markets and strengthen price monitoring in order to prevent monopolistic practices or unjustified price hikes that could absorb the positive impact of higher wages on workers’ and pensioners’ incomes. The organization pointed out that previous experiences have shown that unjustified price increases often accompany wage adjustment decisions, eroding the real value of the increase and limiting its ability to improve living standards and achieve its intended social and economic objectives.
In conclusion, Jordan Labor Watch stressed that improving wages, reviewing them periodically, and linking them to inflation rates, alongside strengthening market oversight and price controls, are essential pillars for protecting citizens’ purchasing power, enhancing social protection, and supporting economic and social stability.