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View all search resultsBatam gets highest 2026 minimum wage in Riau Islands
The provincial capital's minimum wage has been increased 7.38 percent to around Rp 5.36 million for 2026, while the greatest hike was around 9 percent for Bintan regency, where workers can expect a minimum wage of nearly Rp 4.6 million.
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A woman shops for red chili on Dec. 7, 2025, at a supermarket in Batam, the Riau Islands. The disaster that struck northern Sumatra at the end of November have caused a surge in prices for commodities like red chili, just as regional minimum wages are being determined nationwide. (JP/Fadli)
T
he administration of Riau Islands province has finalized its 2026 regency/municipal minimum wage (UMK) and regency/municipal-level sectoral minimum wage (UMSK), with the provincial capital Batam again setting the highest minimum wage, reflecting a widening gap among the province’s regions.
The decision was reached on Monday during a plenary meeting of the province’s wage setting council. Several regions saw wage increases while others, most notably Natuna, were unable to propose hikes due to weak economic conditions.
Next year’s minimum wage for Batam is set at Rp 5,357,982 (US$321.50), an increase of Rp 368,382 or 7.38 percent from this year’s figure, which was calculated using the formula stipulated in Government Regulation No. 49/2025, with an alpha coefficient of 0.7.
“The UMK and UMSK for all regencies and cities have been finalized in the plenary meeting,” Riau Islands Manpower Agency head Diki Wijaya told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Industrial hub Bintan regency posted the largest wage hike by percentage at 8.92 percent to Rp 4,583,221 ($275), while Karimun set its 2026 minimum wage at Rp 4,241,935, up 7.22 percent, and maintained its UMSK at Rp 4,248,268.
Not all regions fared as well. Anambas Islands regency increased its minimum wage 4.77 percent to Rp 4,279,851, but it did not set an UMSK due to an economic contraction of 5.6 percent.
Diki said imposing a minimum sectoral wage under this condition could have resulted in a lower figure.
