Economy of Turkey |
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The minimum wage in Turkey represents the gross amount that an employee must legally receive over a period of 30 days. The determination of the minimum wage is primarily based on a daily calculation, from which monthly and hourly rates are derived. The standard weekly working hours are set at 45, assuming an equal distribution across the other days of the week with only one day off, resulting in a daily duration of 7 hours and 30 minutes. [1] [2]
Part-time employment involves working up to 30 hours, inclusive, while full-time employment encompasses working hours from 30 up to 45 per week. Breaks taken on workdays are not added to the total working time. Legally mandated weekly leave of at least one day is obligatory, and the employee is compensated as if they had worked on that day. The "net minimum wage" paid to the worker is calculated after deducting taxes paid to the government.
The minimum wage is a fundamental component of the labor market, representing the lowest threshold of implementation in employment practices. The current net minimum wage in Turkey is ₺17,002.12 per month (c. US$498.34) as of 1 January 2024. [3]
Although the concept of the minimum wage was introduced into Turkish legislation with the Turkish Labour Act of 1936, its implementation did not materialize until 1951. From 1951 to 1967, the minimum wage was determined by local commissions. The practice of establishing a minimum wage determination commission, which has undergone several changes and persisted until today, began after 1967.
Until 2022, the minimum wage in Turkey was subject to a 15% income tax based on the income tax base and a 7.59% stamp duty on the gross wage. With a decision made at the end of 2021, these taxes were abolished. Additionally, the minimum subsistence allowance, which varied according to the employee's marital status and the number of children, was also eliminated as a result of the removal of income tax. [4] [5] [6]
The table below lists the pre-tax (gross) and post-tax (net) amounts that a single, unmarried worker who works a standard 45-hour week should receive at the end of the month. [7] The third column indicates the nominal value of the minimum wage in U.S. dollars at the beginning and end of the year. [8] On the far right, minimum wages are provided based on purchasing power parity in constant 2020 U.S. dollars. [9]
Year | Gross (TRY) | Net (TRY) | Gross (USD) | Net (USD) | Gross USD/TRY | Net USD/TRY | Gross/Net Ratio | Gross (PPP, 2020 USD) | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 20,002.50 | 17,002.12 | 678.68 | 576.88 | 29.47 | 29.47 | 0% | Due to inflation, the conversion rate changes greatly. The current conversion rate, indicated in the table, is based on figures on 1 January, 2024 at 05:44 UTC. | |
2023 July-December | 13,414.50 | 11,402.32 | 516.75 | 441.89 | 23.71 | 23.71 | 0% | ||
2023 January-June | 10,008 | 8,506.80 | 575.67 | 455.18 | 18.67 | 18.67 | 0% | ||
2022 July-December | 6,471 | 5,500.35 | 386.15 | 328.20 | 16.76 | 16.76 | 0% | Since 2016, the minimum wage, which was previously determined annually, underwent a second adjustment in 2022 due to elevated inflation rates. | |
2022 January-June | 5,004.00 | 4,253.40 | 292.63 | 248.71 | 17.1 | 17.1 | 0% | ||
2021 | 3,577.50 | 2,825.90 | 481.80 | 228.27 | 7.43 | 12.38 | 40% | ||
2020 | 2,943.00 | 2,324.70 | 495.00 | 419.90 | 5.95 | 5.54 | 7% | 12,777.80 |
Year | Gross (TRY) | Net (TRY) | Gross (USD) | Net (USD) | Gross USD/TRY | Net USD/TRY | Gross/Net Ratio | Gross (PPP, 2020 USD) | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 2,558.00 | 2,020.59 | 485.90 | 450.90 | 5.26 | 4.48 | 17% | 12,466.40 | |
2018 | 2,029.50 | 1,603.00 | 532.10 | 420.30 | 3.81 | 3.81 | 0% | 14,425.90 | |
2017 | 1,777.00 | 1,404.00 | 502.80 | 487.20 | 3.53 | 2.88 | 23% | 14,698.20 | |
2016 | 1,647.00 | 1,300.99 | 565.90 | 545.30 | 2.91 | 2.39 | 22% | 15,136.80 | Before 2016, minimum wage adjustments were applied at six-month intervals; however, this practice underwent a change thereafter. |
2015 July-December | 1,273.50 | 1,000.54 | |||||||
2015 January-June | 1,201.50 | 949.07 | |||||||
2014 July-December | 1,136 | 891 | |||||||
2014 January-June | 1,071 | 846 | |||||||
2013 July-December | 1,021.50 | 804.69 | |||||||
2013 January-June | 978.60 | 773.98 | |||||||
2012 July-December | 940.50 | 739.80 | |||||||
2012 January-June | 886.50 | 701.14 | |||||||
2011 July-December | 837.00 | 599.21 | |||||||
2011 January-June | 796.50 | 570.21 | |||||||
2010 July-December | 760.50 | 544.44 | |||||||
2010 January-June | 729.00 | 521.89 | |||||||
2009 July-December | 693.00 | 546.00 | |||||||
2009 January-June | 666.00 | 527.13 | |||||||
2008 July-December | 638.70 | 546.00 | |||||||
2008 January-June | 608.40 | 481.55 | |||||||
2007 July-December | 419,155.652 | ||||||||
2007 January-June | 403,034.281 | ||||||||
The worker's hourly wage is calculated based on a monthly assumption of 30 working days. Legally, there is one mandatory paid leave day per week and a standard weekly working time of 45 hours. When the weekly working hours are distributed across the other days of the week, the daily working hours are 7 hours and 30 minutes. The pay for the leave day is 7.50 times the hourly wage; however, this is not included in the weekly working hours. The hourly wage is calculated by dividing the result of assuming 7 hours and 30 minutes of work for 30 working days by the wage. [10]
If the regular weekly working time agreed upon between the worker and the employer is less than 45 hours (e.g., 40 hours), hours worked between this time and 45 hours are considered overtime and are compensated with a 25% hourly rate increase. Hours worked beyond the 45 hours per week are classified as overtime, and the hourly wage is paid with a 50% increase. [11]
Year | Gross Wage (Hourly) | Net Wage (Hourly) [12] |
---|---|---|
2023 (07-12) | 59.61 | 50.67 |
2023 (01-06) | 44.48 | 37.80 |
2022 (07-12) | 28.76 | 24.44 |
2022 (01-06) | 22.24 | 18.90 |
2021 | 15.90 | 12.55 |
2020 | 13.08 | 10.32 |
2019 | 11.37 | 8.97 |
2018 | 9.02 | 7.12 |
2017 | 7.90 | 6.24 |
2016 | 7.32 | 5.78 |
For a non-retired worker, 14% of the gross minimum wage is deducted as the employee's share for social security contributions, and 1% for unemployment insurance contributions is also deducted as the employee's share.
For each employed worker, in addition to the gross wage, the employer pays 20.5% employer social security contributions on the gross wage and 2% employer unemployment insurance contributions. [13] These rates may vary annually based on incentives provided by the government.
The violation of the minimum wage can occur directly or indirectly in various ways: misrepresentation of full-time employment as part-time in records and payment accordingly, [14] failure to pay overtime wages, reclaiming a portion of the salary provided at the end of the month, and not remitting deductions to the government after paying the net minimum wage. [15]
According to the 2014 data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, out of over 12.2 million registered workers, approximately 5 million, or more than 40%, are employed at the minimum wage. According to these figures, Turkey has the highest proportion of workers earning the minimum wage among European countries. When the 9.6 million informal workers, of whom 3.5 million are categorized as "salaried or daily wage earners", are added to this group, it is believed that the percentage in Turkey exceeds 40%. However, despite requests made in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the government and the Social Security Institution have not disclosed the current number of workers earning the minimum wage. [16]
In 2006, the minimum wage, which had hovered around half the level of the average wage, gradually approached the average wage level throughout this period until reaching its peak in 2020. If the minimum wage is increased in 2021 in proportion to inflation, it is anticipated to correspond to 80.79% of the monthly average salary according to the Social Security Institution data, and 93% according to the Turkish Statistical Institute data. [17]
In Turkey, decisions regarding the minimum wage are made by the Minimum Wage Determination Commission. This commission consists of representatives from workers, employers, and the government, each having one voting right. The definitive determination of the minimum wage in Turkey takes place within this commission. A simple majority vote is required for the decisions to become final, instead of unanimity.
According to a study conducted by DİSK-AR in 2017, out of the 18 decisions made by the commission in the past 18 years, 13 were obtained with the votes of employers and government representatives. Only in 3 years, unanimity was achieved along with the votes of employer representatives. Employer representatives argue that the Minimum Wage Determination Commission should adopt a unanimity rule instead of a majority vote. [18]
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Because minimum wages increase the cost of labor, companies often try to avoid minimum wage laws by using gig workers, by moving labor to locations with lower or nonexistent minimum wages, or by automating job functions. Minimum wage policies can vary significantly between countries or even within a country, with different regions, sectors, or age groups having their own minimum wage rates. These variations are often influenced by factors such as the cost of living, regional economic conditions, and industry-specific factors.
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any other entity, pays the other, the employee, in return for carrying out assigned work. Employees work in return for wages, which can be paid on the basis of an hourly rate, by piecework or an annual salary, depending on the type of work an employee does, the prevailing conditions of the sector and the bargaining power between the parties. Employees in some sectors may receive gratuities, bonus payments or stock options. In some types of employment, employees may receive benefits in addition to payment. Benefits may include health insurance, housing, and disability insurance. Employment is typically governed by employment laws, organization or legal contracts.
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
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Unemployment benefits, also called unemployment insurance, unemployment payment, unemployment compensation, or simply unemployment, are payments made by governmental bodies to unemployed people. Depending on the country and the status of the person, those sums may be small, covering only basic needs, or may compensate the lost time proportionally to the previous earned salary.
Payroll taxes are taxes imposed on employers or employees, and are usually calculated as a percentage of the salaries that employers pay their employees. By law, some payroll taxes are the responsibility of the employee and others fall on the employer, but almost all economists agree that the true economic incidence of a payroll tax is unaffected by this distinction, and falls largely or entirely on workers in the form of lower wages. Because payroll taxes fall exclusively on wages and not on returns to financial or physical investments, payroll taxes may contribute to underinvestment in human capital, such as higher education.
A payroll is a list of employees of a company who are entitled to receive compensation as well as other work benefits, as well as the amounts that each should obtain. Along with the amounts that each employee should receive for time worked or tasks performed, payroll can also refer to a company's records of payments that were previously made to employees, including salaries and wages, bonuses, and withheld taxes, or the company's department that deals with compensation. A company may handle all aspects of the payroll process in-house or can outsource aspects to a payroll processing company.
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A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis. Salary can also be considered as the cost of hiring and keeping human resources for corporate operations, and is hence referred to as personnel expense or salary expense. In accounting, salaries are recorded in payroll accounts.
The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 creates a minimum wage across the United Kingdom. From 1 April 2024, the minimum wage is £11.44 per hour for people aged 21 and over, £8.60 for 18- to 20-year-olds, and £6.40 for 16- to 17-year-olds and apprentices aged under 19 or in the first year of their apprenticeship.
The Labor Code of the Philippines is the legal code governing employment practices and labor relations in the Philippines. It was enacted through Presidential Decree No. 442 on Labor day, May 1, 1974, by President Ferdinand Marcos in the exercise of his then extant legislative powers.
Minimum wage law is the body of law which prohibits employers from hiring employees or workers for less than a given hourly, daily or monthly minimum wage. More than 90% of all countries have some kind of minimum wage legislation.
In the United States, the minimum wage is set by U.S. labor law and a range of state and local laws. The first federal minimum wage was instituted in the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but later found to be unconstitutional. In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act established it at 25¢ an hour. Its purchasing power peaked in 1968, at $1.60. In 2009, Congress increased it to $7.25 per hour with the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 29 U.S.C. § 203 (FLSA) is a United States labor law that creates the right to a minimum wage, and "time-and-a-half" overtime pay when people work over forty hours a week. It also prohibits employment of minors in "oppressive child labor". It applies to employees engaged in interstate commerce or employed by an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, unless the employer can claim an exemption from coverage. The Act was enacted by the 75th Congress and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938.
Wage theft is the failing to pay wages or provide employee benefits owed to an employee by contract or law. It can be conducted by employers in various ways, among them failing to pay overtime; violating minimum-wage laws; the misclassification of employees as independent contractors; illegal deductions in pay; forcing employees to work "off the clock"; not paying annual leave or holiday entitlements; or simply not paying an employee at all.
Minimum wage in Germany is €12.41 per hour, pre-tax since 1 January 2024. The legislation was introduced on January 1, 2015, by Angela Merkel's third government, a coalition between the SPD and the CDU. The implementation of a minimum wage was the SPD's main request during the coalition's negotiations as its central electoral promise during the 2013 federal election campaign. Previously, Germany had minimum wages only in specific sectors, negotiated by trade unions, and some were below the minimum wage level introduced in 2015.