At the end of 2022, in November, the central index, which is used for social benefits and wages in the public sector, reached a milestone. This applies to social allowances and salaries in the public service to be adapted to the cost of living by being increased by 2%. Depending on the case, this indexation has already been done in December or is currently being done in January 2023.
Social benefits and salaries in the civil service should once once more be indexed in the spring of 2023. The Planning Bureau is indeed expecting a further crossing of the pivot index in April 2023. Following this change in the index, the amounts of social allowances will increase by 2% in May 2023. Salaries in the civil service will follow the same trend in June 2023.
For workers in the private sector, the adaptation of wages to changes in inflation varies according to the sectors and the joint committees. In some sectors, salaries are adjusted at the same pace as social benefits and civil service salaries. However, in many sectors, the indexing rules are different, as explained in this article.
According to the Bureau du Plan, there should be no further crossing of the pivot index in 2023. These forecasts will be reassessed on February 7th.