Minimum wage negotiations for 2026 are approaching: Which payments will increase with the new year?

There is little time left before the start of negotiations for the determination of the minimum wage for 2026. Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan stated that they aim to reach a result that will satisfy all parties in the meetings to be held in December.

The new minimum wage will not only affect those working for this wage but a wide segment of the population. With the determination of the minimum wage, many payment items such as unemployment benefits, severance pay, general health insurance premiums, and intern salaries will be rearranged.

Unemployment benefits are calculated based on the insured person's earnings subject to premiums over the last four months. With the new minimum wage, the lower and upper limits of unemployment benefits will also rise. Severance pay is determined as the amount of the gross minimum wage an employee receives for one year of service, and this will also increase with the new minimum wage.

Intern salaries will also increase along with the minimum wage. Internship fees paid to high school and university students are determined at 30 percent of the gross minimum wage, and this rate will rise with the new minimum wage.

General health insurance premiums will also increase with the new minimum wage. The premiums that must be paid to benefit from health services are calculated at 3 percent of the gross minimum wage.

In addition to these, payments such as military service and maternity debt borrowing, optional insurance premiums, report fees for minimum wage earners, the 65-plus age pension, and disability pensions will also be re-evaluated with the new minimum wage.