Public employees haven’t seen a raise since 2019; they accumulate 35.75% inflation

Public sector salaries have not fared as well as those in the private sector over the last six years, as they have not received an official general increase since April 2019, already accumulating an inflation of 35.76%, to the detriment of the pockets and quality of life of public employees.

However, the public payroll has increased substantially since then, and government spending on payrolls went from RD$186 billion to RD$358 billion.

The last increase in the public sector was announced by then-President Danilo Medina, during the accountability report of February 27, 2019, to take effect on April 1 of that year.

In that ordinance, the minimum wage in the public sector went from $5,117 pesos to $10,000 pesos, and a 10% increase was received in salaries from $10,000 pesos to $20,000 pesos, and a 5% increase in salaries from $20,000 pesos to $30,000 pesos.

Pensioners and retirees of the State who received the minimum pension of $5,117 pesos were also benefited, which was increased to $8,000 pesos.

However, inflation has hit public employees, especially those with lower incomes, who have had to face the highest inflation in recent years (year 2022) when inflation exceeded the double-digit figure that year.

This has substantially reduced the purchasing power of those wage earners.

The year 2020 recorded a cumulative inflation of 6.21%, 2021 recorded 10.49%, 2022 recorded 7.83%, 2023 recorded 4.32%, 2024 recorded 3.35% and in what has transpired in 2025, an inflation of 3.56% is averaged, for a cumulative total of 35.76%, without receiving an increase in their income.