MINIMUM WAGE – THE RULE INSTEAD OF THE EXCEPTION IN THE LABOR MARKET

The issue of the minimum wage has been attracting attention for many years, not only from experts, but also from the general public. Determining the minimum wage in every country, including Serbia, aims to establish minimum standards for personal income and combat poverty. The basic feature of the minimum wage is that it is a temporary measure, lasting up to 6 months, as a response to an employer’s poor financial performance, and as such it represents an extraordinary measure, which should be abolished upon returning to the normal economic conditions. Upon resuming normal business operations, the employer is required to compensate employees for the shortfall, ensuring they receive their contracted salary in full. However, instead of the minimum wage being an exception, used only in extraordinary circumstances, it has now become commonplace in the labor market, challenging the original concept of the minimum wage and raising questions about its effectiveness. This paper aims to examine the concept of wage and minimum wage in Serbia, along with its practical implications in the domestic labor market.