Prevailing Wages in Georgia ‘Far Below’ Living Wage
According to a report about the living wage in Georgia which was released by the Georgian Fair Labor Platform – a coalition of unions, civil society organizations, and activists focused on labor rights – prevailing wages in Georgia are currently “far below” the calculated living wage of GEL 1,770 (USD 665) per month. The living wage figure represents pre-tax income based on the average of all urban and rural areas in Georgia and on one worker in a typical family.
According to the coalition, a living wage should allow an individual to cover the costs of food, clothing, housing, education, healthcare, and transportation, as well as other needs, and unexpected expenses.
As the coalition noted, the minimum wage in Georgia is a “paltry” GEL 20 (USD 7.52) per month and has not been updated since 1999. Furthermore, citing government data, the coalition pointed out that the median wage in Georgia was GEL 900 (USD 338) in 2021, meaning that 50% of workers earn less than that amount. As the coalition remarked, even the average wage was only GEL 1,305 (USD 490) per month in 2021.
As the coalition underscored, “there are many reasons to pay a living wage, but chief amongst them is the issue of basic dignity” and the principle that employees who give their time and labor to an employer “should be paid enough to cover their basic expenses and afford a decent standard of living.”
“A society where workers are chronically underpaid to the point of destitution is not only cruel and inhospitable but also unsustainable in the long term,” they stressed.
The coalition also pointed out that paying employees a living wage has “huge economic benefits” for companies. In that context, the coalition highlighted that in Georgia, providing a living wage would stimulate the economy, reduce problems associated with hiring shortages and staff retention, and increase the overall well-being, loyalty, and commitment of employees.
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