Cambodia wage-increase impact up for debate

Recent data from the International Labour Organisation say that despite implementing a $128 minimum wage in January, the Kingdom’s garment and footwear sector has grown by over 10 per cent in the first quarter this year, although experts suggest a wait-and-see approach to determine its full impact.

In the first of a newly launched quarterly bulletin on the sector’s performance, the International Labour Organization said Cambodia’s garment sector grew by 9.3 per cent to $5.8 billion last year, employing over 600,000 workers in 640 factories.

The report also points out that despite concerns that this year’s wage increase could lead to a “collapse of export volumes”, the industry grew “favourably”.

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