The latest figures show that the minimum wage differentials in European countries are very large.
Minimum wages in Europe range from 213 euros in Albania to as much as 2,142 euros in wealthy Luxembourg, Eurostat data showed in January this year.
According to Eurostat, in eight European countries the minimum wage exceeds one thousand euros.
Luxembourg with a "minimum" of 2,142 euros is followed by Ireland with a minimum wage of 1,656 euros, the Netherlands 1,636, Britain 1,599, Belgium 1,594, Germany 1,584, France 1,539 and Spain 1,050 euros.
Then there are 10 countries where the minimum wage is between 500 and 1,000 euros.
Namely, the minimum wage in Slovenia is 941 euros, in Malta 777, Greece 758, Portugal 741, Poland 611, Lithuania 607, Estonia 584, Slovakia 580, Czech Republic 575 and Croatia 546 euros.
At the bottom, with a minimum wage of less than 500 euros, there are a total of eight European countries: Hungary with 487 euros, Romania 466, Latvia 430, Serbia 343, Montenegro 331, Bulgaria 312, S. Macedonia 235 and Albania with 213 euros.
From EU member states, residents of Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia receive the lowest minimum wage.
Interesting is the fact that the minimum wage in Luxembourg has increased by 219 euros in the last five years, higher than the current minimum wage in Albania of 213 euros.
