Following approval from the Yunnan Provincial People's Government, the Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security has issued a new notice, officially announcing an adjustment to the province's minimum wage standards. The updated rates are scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026.

The primary goal of this revision is to enhance the protective role of the minimum wage, promote a reasonable increase in the income of low-income workers, and ensure their basic living needs and those of their dependents are met. This initiative is also intended to improve people's livelihoods and boost the public's sense of gain and happiness.

Following the adjustment, the province will continue to categorize its county-level administrative regions into three tiers based on their economic and social development levels, with different standards applied to each.

Category 1 Regions: This includes Wuhua District, Panlong District, Xishan District, Guandu District, Chenggong District, and Jinning District in Kunming City, along with Anning City and Songming County. The monthly minimum wage will rise from 2,170 yuan to 2,270 yuan, and the hourly minimum wage will increase from 21 yuan to 22 yuan.

Category 2 Regions: This includes other counties under Kunming's jurisdiction, Dongchuan District, county-level cities and municipal districts in other prefectures, as well as Yulong County and Deqin County. The monthly minimum wage will increase from 2,020 yuan to 2,120 yuan, and the hourly minimum wage from 20 yuan to 21 yuan.

Category 3 Regions: This applies to all other counties across the province. The monthly minimum wage will be adjusted from 1,870 yuan to 1,970 yuan, and the hourly minimum wage from 19 yuan to 20 yuan.

According to the Yunnan Province Minimum Wage Regulations, the minimum wage is defined as the minimum remuneration an employer must pay a worker who has provided normal labor within statutory working hours or the time agreed upon in their labor contract. The wage calculation for this standard includes social insurance premiums and housing fund contributions that the worker is required to pay personally, but it excludes overtime pay, allowances for special or extra labor consumption, and other non-wage welfare benefits as stipulated by laws and regulations, as well as any housing and meal subsidies paid in cash by the employer.

In terms of application, the monthly minimum wage standard applies to full-time workers, while the hourly standard applies to part-time workers. If an employer pays wages below the minimum standard, workers have the right to file a complaint with the human resources and social security department, or they may seek mediation, arbitration, or file a lawsuit in accordance with the law.

Data source: Yunnan Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security; Source: Yunnan Release.