Beijing lifts minimum wage to 960 yuan
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The minimum monthly wage for workers in Beijing will be raised to 960 yuan (US$140.8) from July 1st, Legal Evening News reported Thursday.
The Beijing Bureau of Human Resource and Social Security announced Thursday morning the minimum wage standard will rise by 160 yuan (US$23.5), or 20 percent, from the current 800 yuan (US$117.3) per month.
The capital city usually raises the standard once a year but did not make an adjustment in 2009.
Wang Yan, director of labor relations department of the bureau, said the lift of the minimum wage aims to guarantee the rights of low-income workers and will not cause a price hike, the report said.
"Beijing has lifted the minimum wage standard for many years and has never found the adjustments resulted in a price increase of commodities and services," said Wang.
The bureau estimated that 100,000 people in the capital city will benefit from the increase of the minimum wage.
Beijing has carried out the minimum wage system since 1994 and the average annual increase rate is 10.02 percent, according to Legal Evening News citing the bureau.
In Beijing, employers must pay employees no less than the monthly minimum and also pay social insurance and housing fund contributions.
Many Chinese provinces including the economic powerhouses Guangdong，Shanghai and Zhejiang have raised the minimum wages since this year.
Currently, Shanghai has the highest minimum wage across the country – 1,120 yuan per month (US$164.2).
