On January 1, the minimal wage amount in Latvia was the second lowest among 21 members states of the European Union, according to information published by Eurostat.
The current minimal wage in Latvia is EUR 500 a month. The only other EU member state in which the minimal wage is lower is Bulgaria, where it is EUR 332.
EUR 700 a month is a minimal wage amount not found in Romania (EUR 515), Hungary (EUR 542), Croatia (EUR 624), Slovakia (EUR 646), the Czech Republic (EUR 652), Estonia (EUR 654) and Poland (EUR 655).
In Lithuania, on the other hand, the minimal wage is EUR 730.
The biggest minimal wage in Europe is found in Luxembourg (EUR 2,257), Ireland (EUR 1,775), the Netherlands (EUR 1,725), Belgium (EUR 1,658), Germany (EUR 1,621) and France (EUR,1 603).
The biggest minimal wage in the EU is nearly seven times larger than the smallest minimal wage.
No minimal state paid wage is set in countries like Austria, Denmark, Italy, Cyprus, Finland and Sweden. (BNN/Business World Magazine)