WILLEMSTAD - In Curaçao, the minimum hourly wage will increase as of January 1 due to indexing with the consumer price index between August 2022 and August 2023. For workers aged 21 and older, the new minimum hourly wage will be set at 11.28 guilders.
This results in a weekly minimum wage of 451.20 guilders and a monthly minimum wage of 1953.70 guilders for a 40-hour workweek. For longer workweeks of 45 and 48 hours, the wages will be adjusted accordingly.
Domestic Staff
For live-in domestic staff, an amount for board and lodging may be deducted from the minimum monthly wage, up to a maximum of 300 guilders per month.
For live-out staff, an amount can be deducted for each provided meal, namely 1.50 guilders for breakfast or a bread meal and five guilders for a hot meal.
Young Workers
For workers aged between 16 and 21, a youth minimum wage is established that is reasonably proportional to the adult minimum hourly wage. The gross minimum hourly wages for young workers are determined as follows:
20 years: 90 percent of the adult minimum wage, so 10.15 guilders per hour
19 years: 85 percent of the adult minimum wage, so 9.59 guilders per hour
18 years: 75 percent of the adult minimum wage, so 8.46 guilders per hour
17 and 16 years: 65 percent of the adult minimum wage, so 7.33 guilders per hour
This increase in the minimum wage and adjustment of the youth wage are significant steps for Curaçao's economy, contributing to an improvement in the purchasing power of workers and young people on the island.