1. LAMAS Working Group 22-23 October 2013
Agenda Item 2.4 Minimum wages State of play

2. Latest data collection – July 2013
1 July - launch
12 July – deadline
18 countries on time
5 with delay < 5 days
31 July– dissemination

3. Main results Figure 1: Minimum monthly wages in euros, 1 July 2013

4. Main results Figure 2 : Minimum monthly wages in PPS, 1 July 2013

5. Next data collection – January 2013
Launch in late December 2013
Deadline 10 January 2014
Minimum wage to be transmitted within the deadline
% of gross earnings can be delayed until the latter become available
New Contact Person : Jean Thill
LAMAS delegates are invited to comment on the latest/next collection of minimum wages data

6. Dissemination Statistics explained Eurostat publications
Pilot project translated in 21 languages
Eurostat publications
Regular publications:
Europe in figures
Labour market statistics pocketbook
New publications:
Pocketbook on social statistics
The EU in the World 2013 – a statistical portrait
Google "Public Data Explorer"

7. Map published in 'Statistics Explained':

8. Possible extension to collective agreements
Eleven countries have no statutory minimum wage
But the proportion of employees covered by a collective agreement is often very high: AT
91.1% CH
51.2% CY
73.2% DE
56.9% DK
92.1% FI
99.2% IS
100.0% IT
99.8% MK NO
61.5% SE

9. Possible extension to collective agreements
Given the importance of collective bargaining in Europe for wage setting, it is proposed to complement the current data collection on statutory minimum wages with information on the lowest wages set by collective agreement:
The proportion of employees covered by collective agreements :
- by using SES information (option1)
- by collecting this information through the min. wages
questionnaire (option 2)
The lowest wage (in euros) set by collective agreement in the country concerned.

10. Possible extension to collective agreements
Discussion
The principal advantage is to have complete information about minimum / quasi-minimum wages for all Member States
Importance to explain the differences between the statutory minimum wage and the ‘lowest wage set by collective agreement’
SES data cover only firms with more than 10 employees of NACE sections B to S excluding O. It is 4–yearly but more comparable across countries.

11. The members of the LAMAS Working Group are invited:
to give their view on an extension of the current questionnaire to collect data on ‘the lowest wage set by collective agreement’ (conceptual and feasibility aspects);
to give their views on the 2 options (4-yearly SES or minimum wage questionnaire) proposed to collect data on the coverage of collective pay agreements.

12. Exchange of views:
Conceptual problems: would the minimum wage set by collective agreement provide meaningful information?
Feasibility issues: countries with a large number of collective agreements would have difficulties to collect the information
Coverage: SES is a comparable source but unfrequent (4-yearly) with no full-economy scope in most countries.
Coverage: it should be defined as the proportion of employees covered by those collective agreements that set minimum (hourly or monthly) wages.

13. Thank you for your attention!