On June 13, 2022, Laos' Prime Minister's Office issued
Notification No. 829/PMO modifying the country's minimum
monthly wage.
The notification calls for two increases over the next 11
months. The first increase will occur on August 1, 2022, when the
minimum monthly wage will become LAK 1,200,000 (approx. USD 81).
The second increase, to LAK 1,300,000 (approx. USD 88) will take
effect on May 1, 2023.
This raising is the first minimum wage increase in Laos since
May 2018, and it comes at a time when the Lao kip is facing sharp
depreciation against the US dollar, in conjunction with heightened
inflation.
Despite this increase, the cost of labor in Laos remains among
the lowest in the region. In Cambodia the minimum daily wage is KHR
40,000 (approx. USD 10), with a minimum monthly wage of USD 194 for
regular workers in the garment, textile, and footwear industries.
The minimum wage in Myanmar is MMK 600 per hour, or MMK 4,800
(approx. USD 2) for an eight-hour work
