'SSC monthly deductions to be pegged to new minimum wage starting 2018'

AMMAN — The status of some 76,000 workers subscribed to the Social Security Corporation (SSC) at the old minimum wage will not change until the beginning of next year, an official said on Saturday.

Among several economic reform measures, the government has recently raised the minimum wage for Jordanians from JD190 to JD220.

SSC Media Director Musa Sbeihi told The Jordan Times that the corporation considers January salaries for monthly deductions throughout the year, adding that deduction rates on monthly salaries will be amended according to the new minimum wage starting from January 1, 2018.

Meanwhile, the new minimum wage regulations will apply to subscribers who are new to the labour market and those who change work institutions after the minimum wage decision came into effect on March 1.

“The decision is not retroactive,” Sbeihi noted.

The number of active SSC subscribers has reached 1.215 million, including some 885,000 men (73 per cent) and some 330,000 women, representing around 64 per cent of the country’s workforce, according to SSC figures.

Out of all subscribers, around 513,000 are public servants, while the number of those working in the private sector reached 629,000. Optional subscribers are around 73,000.

Non-Jordanian subscribers are around 145,000, representing only 12 per cent of all subscribers.