Slovakia’s monthly minimum wage is expected to increase to €972 from 1 January 2027, after employers and trade unions failed to reach an agreement on a new minimum wage by the legal deadline of 15 July.
Unless a compromise is reached at the August meeting of the country’s tripartite social dialogue council, the minimum wage will be determined automatically under Slovak law.
Under the current legislation, the minimum wage is set at 60% of the average nominal monthly salary from two years earlier if negotiations fail. Since Slovakia’s average monthly wage in 2025 reached €1,620, the minimum wage for 2027 will automatically increase to €972, or €5.58 per hour.
Compared with the current minimum wage of €915, this represents an increase of €57, or approximately 6.2%.
The Ministry of Labour is required to officially announce the final minimum wage no later than 1 November.
The current system for setting the minimum wage has been in place since 2021. Employers and trade unions are first given the opportunity to negotiate a new rate. If they fail to reach an agreement, the statutory formula is applied automatically. This mechanism was used for the first time when determining the minimum wage for 2026.
According to Slovak economists, the country’s minimum wage could exceed €1,000 for the first time in 2028, reaching approximately €1,014.
