To encourage public participation, the Minimum Wage Evaluation Commission is inviting the public to share comments and opinions on the legal provision that would raise the minimum wage to $10.50 per hour worked, effective July 1, 2024.
The public may also comment on other matters under the Commission's jurisdiction related to the wages of agricultural workers, tipped employees, and administrators, executives and professionals. Comments must be submitted by email to comisionsalario@trabajo.pr.gov.
Who is on the Evaluation Commission?
The commission, led by the Secretary of Labor, is made up of professionals representing academia, the field of economics, workers' interests and private-sector employers. Among the notable members are Dr. Indira Luciano Montalvo, Dr. Iyari Ríos González, Mr. Jaime Núñez Acosta and Mr. Wilkin López del Valle, who bring a range of perspectives.
As the commission navigates the legal process of compensation in Puerto Rico, it is also required to address matters such as the proposed regulation by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor to raise the minimum weekly salary for executive, professional and administrative employees.
The wage increase and the final decision
Under Law No. 47-2021, known as the Puerto Rico Minimum Wage Act, the island's minimum wage will increase to $10.50 per hour of work, subject to the Evaluation Commission's analysis. The Commission is expected to announce its determination on the wage increase in the coming weeks, taking into account the analysis and advice of the firm Abexus Analytics.
"This determination will be the subject of a mandatory decree that, because it constitutes a regulation, will be subject to a 30-day public comment period and the possible holding of public hearings under Law No. 38-2017, as amended, known as the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act, before the final decision that could modify the minimum wage on the island," said Secretary of Labor Gabriel Maldonado-González.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
