The Guangdong Provincial People's Government issued a notice on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 13th, detailing adjustments to the province's minimum wage standards. This move is part of efforts to implement the national policy of "improving the minimum wage adjustment mechanism," in accordance with the Labor Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on Minimum Wages (Ministry of Labor and Social Security Decree No. 21), while also reflecting the province's current economic and social development conditions.

Effective September 1, 2026, adjustments will be made to both the monthly minimum wage for full-time workers and the hourly minimum wage for part-time workers across the province. The new standards divide the province into three categories. Guangzhou and Shenzhen will implement the first-tier standard, with monthly minimum wages set at 2,680 yuan and 2,700 yuan respectively, and a corresponding part-time hourly rate of 25.4 yuan per hour. The second-tier standard, set at 2,300 yuan per month, applies to Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, and Zhongshan, with a part-time hourly rate of 21.9 yuan per hour. The third-tier standard, set at 2,040 yuan per month, covers cities including Shantou, Shaoguan, Heyuan, Meizhou, Huizhou, Shanwei, Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Zhanjiang, Maoming, Zhaoqing, Qingyuan, Chaozhou, Jieyang, and Yunfu, with a part-time hourly rate of 20.2 yuan per hour.

Under the new regulations, when employees are performing normal work, employers must ensure that wages, after deducting specific items, are not less than the local minimum wage. These excluded items include overtime pay, shift differentials, allowances for special working conditions (such as high temperatures, low temperatures, or underground work), and other benefits stipulated by law or regulation.

For employers using piece-rate wage systems, the wages paid to workers for performing normal work within statutory working hours must not be lower than the local minimum wage. This requires employers to set labor quotas and piece rates in a scientifically sound manner to ensure compliance.

The province is also strengthening the minimum wage and payment protection system. This includes efforts to extend coverage to workers in new forms of employment that do not fully meet the criteria for establishing a traditional labor relationship. Enterprises are required to pay workers who perform normal labor at least the local minimum wage, ensuring timely and full payment without unauthorized deductions or delays.

All municipal governments at or above the prefecture level are instructed to promptly announce the minimum wage standards for their respective regions. They must strictly enforce the minimum wage protection system, strengthen supervision and inspection, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers.