Skip to content The Estonian Employers Confederation (ETTK) and the Estonian Confederation of Trade Unions (EAKL) have reached an agreement on a €946 monthly minimum wage for 2026.
Socioeconomic context and objectives
Negotiations between the social partners on raising the national minimum wage began in December 2025.
Although the social partners usually reach a settlement in December, this year’s negotiations repeatedly failed. This required the involvement of a national conciliator.
Trade union representatives initially accepted the national conciliator’s proposal of €956, whereas employers’ representatives rejected it.
Discussions continued until recently, when the parties finally reached a compromise, and they agreed a monthly minimum wage of €946.
According to Kaia Vask, chair of the Estonian Confederation of Trade Unions, the outcome was lower than what trade unions initially sought, but still higher than what employers were initially willing to accept. However, any further delay in setting the minimum wage would have been considered a poor solution for the workers involved.
Around 20’000 full-time workers in Estonia earned the minimum wage of €886 in 2025. Therefore, they will see their pay increase to €946 from April 1st, 2026.
Further steps
In Estonia, the social partners ought to negotiate the annual minimum wage. Once they reach the agreement, the Government must formally approve the decision by regulation.
Therefore, the increased national minimum wage will come into effect starting from April 1st, when the government is expected to publish the official notices.