Amman- Jordan's minimum wage will be raised by 36 per cent as of January 1, to 150 dinars (212 dollars) from the current 110 dinars, the labour ministry said Wednesday.

Labour Minister Bassem al-Salem said an ad hoc panel, recently set up to discuss the issue, had decided to raise the minimum wage to 150 dinars in view of the steeply rising inflation in the country.

The state-run Department of Statistics earlier this week put at 15 per cent the country's average inflation rate in the first nine months of the year.

The government puts the unemployment rate at 14 per cent, but independent sources say it exceeds 20 per cent. (dpa)