With the second increase in the minimum wage within a year, Albania is now at the same level as North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the region, leaving only Kosovo behind.

Meanwhile, Montenegro stands at the top, where the minimum wage is no less than 530 euros.

From October 1, the minimum wage will become 34,000 ALL or 293 euros, and the annual increase will reach 13%.

In the Albanian job market, there is a total of 200,000 employees who pay contributions for a minimum wage job.

The decision to force businesses to pay them the new surcharge was prompted by rapidly rising prices.

This is good news for employees, but it wasn’t welcomed by the business sector, whose expenses have also increased during this period.

The increase in their monthly expenses can also result in the abrupt unemployment of young or inexperienced workers.

According to several business owners, what stands behind this government decision is more so a strategy to collect more taxes.