Minimum wages in El Salvador, effective as of January 1, 2018, are US$304.17 per month for commerce, services and industry; US$299.30 for textile and apparel maquila; for agricultural workers US$202.77. according to the Consejo Nacional de Salarios Mínimo.

The increase in the minimum wage began last Sunday, august 1, for the different productive sectors of the country, the new salary for industry, commerce and services would be US$365, maquila, textile and clothing US$359.16, coffee and sugar cane and sugar harvesting, US$272.66, while for the agricultural sector US$243.46.

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and that will have to increase the minimum wage, starting this month, will benefit from a non-refundable economic relief granted by the Executive Branch, for one year.

This after the Legislative Assembly approved a reform to the Law of Ley del Fideicomiso para la Recuperación Económica de las Empresas Salvadoreñas (FIREMPRESA). Authorities have informed that some 13,500 MSMEs, which represent 95% of the country's companies, will be eligible for the subsidy, which will be delivered through Banco de Desarrollo de El Salvador (BANDESAL).

Applicants must be registered as employers with the Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social (ISSS) and have a maximum of 100 employees.

Also, the head of BANDESAL, Juan Pablo Durán, said that between august 10 and 15, a tab will be enabled on the FIREMPRESA website for employers to register and provide information they already have. These include the name of the company, the employer number, the Tax Identification Number (NIT) of the legal representative, the type of account and number where they want the funds to be deposited and an e-mail address.