The minimum wage is the lowest possible payment to a worker for the performed work. The lowest payment should be that by which a decent life is enabled to the worker. A great majority of countries all over the world have determined the minimum wage. However, the methods of determining the minimum wage between the countries are different. Regarding the national determination of the minimum wage, the experts vary in opinions. On one side some advocates support the national determination of the minimum wage. At the same time, there are opponents of the determination of the minimum wage on the national level on the opposite side. Research on the effects on the introduction or raising the minimum wage also offers positive and negative effects of the minimum wage. Some pieces of research ascertain the positive and negative effects of the introduction or the change of the minimum wage even at the same time. The goal of the thesis is to present the definition of the minimum wage and the methods of determination of the minimum wage. Studies and analyses are presented in the thesis by which the positive and negative effects of the introduction or the raise of the minimum wage were ascertained. Later in the thesis, the comparisons of the height of the minimum wage between the EU member states according to different criteria are performed, e.g. the comparison of the nominal and the real height of the minimum wage, the presentation of the height of the minimum wage with regards to the average wage and the median of wages, the display of the height of the minimum wage with regards to the purchasing power, etc. A part of the thesis is also dedicated to the tax burden of the minimum wage. The tax and social burden of the minimum wage in individual EU member states are presented. A tax assessment of the burden of the minimum wage by personal income tax by taking different tax reliefs into account is presented. The ascertained results could be of assistance in determining the height of the minimum wage and in ascertaining the tax burden of the minimum income.
|