The wage increase is the result of automatic indexation to the increased life expectancy. “According to forecasts, the wage increase for white-collar workers in PC 200 will amount to 1.49 percent,” says Jean-Luc Vannieuwenhuyse, legal expert at SD Worx. “In other words, we see a return to normal compared to last year’s exceptional indexation.” In January, wages for white-collar workers rose by 11.08 percent, a result of last year’s record inflation.
The exact figure will only be known around the end of the year, as the months of November and December are also included in the final figure, SD Worx warns.
Inflation fell to 0.36 percent in October, the lowest level since January 2021. However, the key index has been exceeded for the first time since November 2022. “This means that social benefits and wages for employees in a number of companies in the social sector, such as hospitals, childcare, rehabilitation centers, home care and sheltered workshops, will increase by 2 percent in November. The wages of flexi-job workers also follow the central index and will also be indexed in November,” says Vannieuwenhuyse.