In a context of a sharp drop in economic activity, the government decided to increase the minimum wage by 2.63% as of 1 March.
The increase, which was agreed by the Ministry of Labor and which will affect ten economic activities, was endorsed by the authorities on 6 February. Workers in free zones will be the only ones not to be subject to this increase, since wages in this sector were raised at the beginning of the year.
With the recent signing of the U.S.-Canadian-Mexican trade agreement, a precedent was set for future negotiations, as this agreement sets binding labor conditions, such as making exports subject to the payment of a minimum wage.
For example, one of the conditions of the Treaty between Mexico, United States and Canada (T-MEC), which was signed on December 10, 2019, is that vehicles exported from one state of Mexico to the other two countries "must come from plants that pay wages not less than $16 an hour.
Nicaraguan authorities and workers' unions decided not to make changes to the minimum wage, so it will be until 2020 when the issue is discussed again.
Days ago there was tension over the possible increase to the minimum wage in a context of economic recession, but finally the negotiating table decided not to make any change.
On January 5th, 2019, an 8.25% increase in the minimum wage for workers in free trade zones came into effect in Nicaragua.
According to the Ministry of Labor, the minimum monthly wage in the free trade zones last year reached $168 during 2018, and with the increase in force since the beginning of the year, the minimum monthly payment will be $182.
The increase in salary is because employers and workers signed a multi-year agreement to increase the minimum wage annually by a percentage of 8.25% in the period 2018-2022.
The determination of how much and how the minimum wage should be regulated, something that occasionally seems to be done in an arbitrary manner and for political purposes, continues to be one of the factors that most confront Central American businessmen and governments.
In Costa Rica, a 3% increase in the minimum wage was approved for 2019; in El Salvador, an increase is expected to be discussed, and in Guatemala, the commission in charge of the issue reported that no increases will be made this year.
In September 2016 an annual increase of 10% was registered in the number of workers signed up with the social security department and a 5% increase was recorded in the average nominal wage.
Membership of the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security (INSS) grew by 9.8% in September compared with the same month in 2015, with noteworthy sectors being trade, hotels and restaurants, with an increase of 18%, transport, storage and communications, with 17%, construction with 15% and community, social and personal services, with 11.5%, according to Central Bank of Nicaragua.
In Costa Rica civil servants earn on average 150% more than workers in the private sector, which contributes decisively to the growth of inequality and lowers the overall competitiveness of human resources.