Romania: last-but-one EU state in legal minimum wage

The net minimum income in Romania is 137 Euros (500 Romanian lei), placing Romania on the last but one position among the European Union states, an Eurostat survey published on Thursday indicates.

Still, the minimum income increased four times, between 2000 and 2008, from 35 Euros per month (70 RON) to 137 Euros per month. The lowest level in the Union is 112 Euros, in Bulgaria, while the highest is 1,610 Euros, in Luxembourg.

Romanians, despite having minimum salaries higher than Bulgarians, have still the lowest purchase power in the EU.

In Spain, the legal minimum income is 700 Euros, in UK – some 1,150 Euros, while Germany and Italy don’t have laws imposing a minimum wage.