The Cuban regime confirmed on Saturday that the new minimum wage of 3,210 pesos — which replaces the previous one of 2,100 pesos — will take effect on July 1, 2026, although workers will not receive it until August, when they are paid the salary corresponding to the current month.
The Minister of Labor and Social Security, Jesús Otamendiz Campos, specified it in the Round Table on July 4: "It is expected that in the month of August, workers will receive the increase corresponding to the month of July, the current month, the past month. They will be paid in the first days of August the salary for the month of July."
The minister himself acknowledged that the increase —53% compared to the previous salary— "is insufficient," although he described it as "a first step that will have a positive impact." This measure will require 42,500 million pesos from the state budget.
The reform mainly benefits the budgeted sector—health, education, culture, and public administration—which encompasses 51% of the country's workforce.
However, both state-owned and private companies will also need to adjust the salaries of those who earn below the new minimum.
"The business sector as well, those earning a salary below the minimum wage must increase to that level which has been approved and is a limit that cannot be violated," warned Otamendiz.
The complete salary scales will be published before August 1st. As the minimum wage rises, all categories will automatically increase. The minister indicated that the details will be shared "in union meetings, in workplace collectives," and through the Ministry of Labor's media outlets.
As a new public policy measure, the regime committed to reviewing the minimum wage annually, linking it to the impact of inflation on purchasing power.
"At times, we have even waited more than 6 years, over 10 years to increase the minimum wage in the country," the minister himself admitted.
The context in which this adjustment arrives is one of deep crisis. The previous minimum wage of 2,100 pesos was set on January 1, 2021, during the so-called "Ordering Task," when the official exchange rate was 24 pesos per dollar.
In July 2026, the dollar is trading in the informal market at around 690-695 pesos, which means that the new minimum wage of 3,210 pesos is equivalent to just 4.65 dollars per month.
The gap between salary and reality is vast. A carton of eggs in the informal market costs between 3,000 and 4,000 pesos, which can exceed the full minimum wage.
Economists estimate that a person needs about 96,060 pesos per month to meet their basic needs, which is approximately 30 times the new minimum.
The salary reform is part of the package of 176 economic and social transformations approved by the National Assembly on June 19, 2026, which also includes the legalization of private banking, the elimination of the cap of 100 workers for small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes), a digital currency exchange market, and the replacement of generalized subsidies with targeted assistance for vulnerable individuals.
The new Labor Code, which will incorporate the annual review of the minimum wage as a legal obligation, will be presented at the next regular session of the National Assembly.
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