Several provinces and municipalities have recently declared they will raise minimum wage benchmarks starting this year. Guangdong Province has officially issued a notice to adjust its monthly and hourly minimum wage rates for full-time and part-time workers, with the new standards taking effect from September 1, 2026.

The revised pay scale for Guangdong divides the province into three tiers. Guangzhou and Shenzhen fall under the first tier, with Guangzhou set at 2,680 yuan per month and Shenzhen at 2,700 yuan per month, both corresponding to an hourly rate of 25.4 yuan for part-time work. The second tier, applied in Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, and Zhongshan, is set at 2,300 yuan per month with an hourly part-time wage of 21.9 yuan. The third tier, covering cities such as Shantou, Shaoguan, Heyuan, Meizhou, Huizhou, Shanwei, Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Zhanjiang, Maoming, Zhaoqing, Qingyuan, Chaozhou, Jieyang, and Yunfu, is set at 2,040 yuan per month, with a corresponding hourly part-time rate of 20.2 yuan.

Shanxi Province will also raise its minimum wage starting October 1. Under the new structure, full-time monthly minimum wages are divided into three brackets: 2,350 yuan for first-tier areas, 2,250 yuan for second-tier areas, and 2,150 yuan for third-tier areas. Hourly rates for full-time employees will be 13.5 yuan, 12.9 yuan, and 12.4 yuan respectively, while part-time hourly wages will be 25.3 yuan, 24.2 yuan, and 23.3 yuan across the three tiers.

According to an official notice from the Xinjiang Human Resources and Social Security Department, the region will adjust its minimum wage standards effective October 1, 2026. The new monthly minimum wages for full-time workers will be 2,270 yuan, 2,080 yuan, and 1,930 yuan across three tiers, while part-time hourly rates will be set at 22.7 yuan, 20.8 yuan, and 19.3 yuan respectively.

Under the national minimum wage regulations, different administrative regions within a province or autonomous region are permitted to implement varying wage floors. Ding Changfa, an associate professor of economics at Xiamen University, noted that economic development and income levels differ significantly across regions, which naturally leads to variations in minimum wage standards.

In practice, while minimum wages may seem loosely connected to the actual earnings of most workers, adjusting these thresholds plays a vital role in reshaping income distribution and has a direct impact on workers' interests. When minimum wage standards rise, other benefits linked to them also shift accordingly. For instance, companies often base overtime pay and social insurance contribution calculations on the minimum wage, meaning an increase elevates the overall social security level and broadly benefits employees.

Source: Yicai (Lin Jing) | Editor: Piao Lina | Chief Editor: Zhao Yifan