In an official announcement from Santo Domingo, Labor Minister Eddy Olivares Ortega has confirmed that the Dominican Republic’s National Wage Committee (CNS) has greenlit a 20 percent across-the-board increase in minimum wages for construction workers and workers in related skilled trades. The wage adjustment was formally codified in official legislation Resolution CNS-04-2026, and was the product of successful tripartite negotiations that brought together worker representatives, industry employers, and national government officials to hash out a compromise that benefits all stakeholders.
This wage adjustment is a core component of the current Dominican administration’s broader national wage strategy, which is designed to lift working households’ incomes without eroding the long-term competitiveness of domestic businesses. The updated minimum wage scales will roll out across all regions of the country in a phased implementation schedule, adjusted to give employers time to adapt to the new pay requirements without disrupting operations.
Under the new framework, unskilled construction workers will see their daily minimum wage rise from the current RD$980.59 to RD$1,176.70. Skilled workers will get a bump from RD$1,072.85 to RD$1,287.42, while construction assistants will move from RD$1,260.34 to RD$1,512.40. Third-category machine operators will see their minimum daily rate increase from RD$1,636.80 to RD$1,964.16, second-category operators from RD$1,867.44 to RD$2,240.93, first-category operators from RD$2,334.67 to RD$2,801.60, and master craftsmen from RD$2,941.78 to RD$3,530.13.
Per the terms of the resolution, the lower-tier wage adjustments for unskilled workers, skilled workers, assistants, and third-category operators will take effect sooner than higher-tier roles, while the wage hikes for second-category operators, first-category operators, and master craftsmen are scheduled to go into effect on June 1, 2027. The staggered rollout was structured to ease the financial transition for construction businesses that operate on tight project margins, policymakers noted.
In his public comments following the approval, Olivares emphasized that the cross-party agreement underscores the critical value of inclusive social dialogue in addressing competing economic priorities. The negotiated outcome successfully balances construction workers’ widespread calls for higher living wages with the pressing need to preserve business sustainability and industry competitiveness, he said.
Olivares also drew attention to the outsized role the construction sector plays in driving the Dominican Republic’s overall economic growth. The industry is a major engine of national job creation, drives large-scale domestic and foreign investment, and supports the ongoing development of critical public infrastructure and affordable housing across the country. The wage adjustment comes after a series of formal CNS negotiating sessions held between May and June 2025, which included full participation from both employer and worker representatives from the construction sector.