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Monday, Oct. 12, 2020

Does Denmark have a minimum wage?

Jacob Alabab-Moser, Gigafact
no

There is currently no statutory minimum wage in Denmark. In Copenhagen specifically, the current minimum salary for someone employed full time is about 110 Danish kroner ($17.46) per hour or 17,000 kroner ($2,699) per month.

For the past 120 years, Danish wages have been negotiated through collective agreements by trade unions. For jobs without collective agreements, employees must negotiate their salary at the time of employment. The majority of trade unions and Danish parliamentarians oppose establishing a statutory minimum wage.

Even without a minimum wage, Danes are entitled to a number of benefits protected by law, including parental leave and sickness benefits. "The Danish model has delivered. It has ensured more equal conditions at the same time as good competitiveness," a University of Copenhagen professor said.

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