Monday 05 January
2009, San José, Costa
Rica
Predictions For 2009
Northern Border
Controls Tightened In Post-Holiday
Exodus
Living On Minimum Salary
Country
Return Home A
Smooth One
Zapote
Closes, Palmares Is On Deck
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Living On Minimum Salary
Meeting the needs of an
entire family with
˘150.600* colones
(us$273) a month is a
test of endurance.
With the ˘150.600
monthly* earned by a "Trabajador
No Calificado"
(unskilled worker) like
a "camerera" (maid),
Argery has to pay her
rent ˘50.000 to house
herself and her two
children, spend ˘60.000
on food and ˘15.000 for
utilities. With the
remaining ˘25.000 Argery
has left she has to pay
her transportation to
and from work daily,
toothpaste and shampoo
for herself and her
children. Getting sick
is a luxury.
Argery is just an
example of tens of
thousands people in
Costa Rica who must make
ends meet on a minimum
salary. Some women are
lucky to have the
children's father help
out from time to time
with the "pension"
(child support). But,
Argery, like many other
women in similar
situations, cannot count
on that every month.
Living, better yet,
surviving on ˘6.024
daily wage is no easy
task.
Birthdays are plain
torture for a single mom
on a salary that barely
covers the basic living
costs. Birthdays gifts
are just out of the
question, a hug and kiss
must do.
Making matters worse is
the rising cost of
living and salary
increases not keeping
up.
Private sector employees
will be receiving an
increase of 7% for the
first half of 2009 as
approved by the Consejo
Nacional de Salarios.
The raise for public
sector workers has yet
to be announced,
although it will be
reflected in the first
paycheck of the year on
January 15.
Inflation in 2008 is
around 14%.
Although Argery is no
economist, she knows
well how to stretch
every colon to make ends
meet. She knows not much
of inflation, nor the
reasons for the
international financial
crisis, all she know is
the ordeal she faces
daily with the ˘75.000
colones she takes home
every 15th and 30th of
the month to meet the
needs of her family.
Maintaining a family
with a minimum wage is
very difficult.
*˘6.024 daily wage for
the second half of 2008
based on 25 work days
per month as set by the
Ministerio de Trabajo |
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