Amman,June 9, 2026
JordanLabor Watch stated that the government's decision to increase the salaries ofpublic sector employees and civilian and military pensioners earning less thanJOD 600 per month by JOD 30 monthly represents a positive and important step inthe right direction. The organization noted that the measure comes after manyyears of wage stagnation, during a period marked by steadily rising livingcosts and a decline in the purchasing power of a large segment of citizens.
JordanLabor Watch explained that the increase will help alleviate the economicpressures faced by low-income workers and pensioners, strengthen their socialprotection, and send an important message about the need to restore the centralrole of wage policies as a key tool for protecting living standards andstimulating domestic demand.
Theorganization called for the benefits of this measure to be extended to workersin the private sector through a review of wage levels, particularly the minimumwage, in a manner consistent with the increase granted to public sectoremployees and pensioners. Such a move, it argued, would contribute to greaterfairness among different categories of workers. Jordan Labor Watch stressedthat maintaining private sector wages at low levels is incompatible with thecumulative rise in prices and fails to provide acceptable conditions for adecent standard of living.
Theorganization noted that the latest adjustment to the minimum wage came intoeffect at the beginning of 2025. However, the economic and living conditionsthat have evolved since then make it necessary to review and raise it onceagain. Prices of many essential food items, fuel, and other goods and serviceshave continued to increase in recent months due to rapidly unfolding regionaldevelopments and their economic repercussions. These developments have directlyaffected transportation costs and overall price levels in the market.
JordanLabor Watch emphasized that any wage increase should be accompanied byeffective government measures to regulate markets and strengthen pricemonitoring in order to prevent monopolistic practices or unjustified pricehikes that could absorb the positive impact of higher wages on workers’ andpensioners’ incomes. The organization pointed out that previous experienceshave shown that unjustified price increases often accompany wage adjustmentdecisions, eroding the real value of the increase and limiting its ability toimprove living standards and achieve its intended social and economic objectives.
Inconclusion, Jordan Labor Watch stressed that improving wages, reviewing themperiodically, and linking them to inflation rates, alongside strengtheningmarket oversight and price controls, are essential pillars for protectingcitizens’ purchasing power, enhancing social protection, and supportingeconomic and social stability.