From 5.5% to 7.5%: National Wage Council recommends pay raise for lower-wage workers
Employers of lower-wage workers should give salary increases between 5.5 and 7.5 per cent, said the National Wages Council (NWC).At a press conference on Tuesday (Nov 11), the NWC released new wage guidelines that will cover the period from Dec 1, 2025, to Nov 30, 2026, and are applicable to all employees in unionised and non-unionised firms and in both public and private sectors. «This year's guidelines involved extensive discussions amongst tripartite partners,» said NWC chairman Peter Seah, who added that the significant uncertainties facing the global economy were also taken into consideration.«To narrow the wage gap between LWWs (lower-wage workers) and the median wage worker over this decade, wages of LWWs must consistently grow faster than the median wage,» said the council in its annual guidelines on pay and employment issues.It suggests that employers who have done well should provide their lower-wage workers with a built-in wage increase at the higher end of the stipulated percentage range, or a hike of at least $105 to $125, whichever is higher.