In Cuba, state workers, who make up two-thirds of the labor force, face enormous challenges to survive on salaries equivalent to 10 or 15 dollars a month, as inflation drives up food prices relentlessly. Many leave public jobs for private or informal options offering better pay, as shown by a former nurse in Camagüey. The situation worsens due to stagnant wages and the recent oil blockade ordered by President Donald Trump.
State salaries in Cuba average 6,685 pesos (13 dollars) in the budgeted sector and 7,590 pesos in state companies for 2025, with a minimum wage of 2,100 pesos (4 dollars) since 2021. According to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), wages rose only 2.8% in 2025, compared to an 18% increase in the basic food basket cost in 2024, and presumably higher figures for 2025. For two people, essential foods cost 24,351 pesos per month in 2024, nearly four times the average state salary.
In Camagüey, Yunaika, a former pediatric nurse, quit her job in 2024 to sell clothing sent from Mexico, earning up to 7,000 pesos (14 dollars) on a good day instead of the same over a full month. 'Sometimes I owed so much that I didn’t even notice when I got paid,' she explained. Many of her colleagues chose private jobs or emigrated, as state employment fails to cover basic needs.
Parents like Yunaika contribute 200-300 pesos (0.50 dollars) monthly for school repairs, such as locks and lights, since the government stopped covering these costs. A caretaker earned 2,900 pesos (under 6 dollars) and quit, and there is no janitor due to low pay. Teachers earn over 5,000 pesos (10 dollars), and some parents give gifts to retain them.
In the private sector, wages for low-skill jobs rarely exceed 1,500 pesos (3 dollars) for 12-hour or longer shifts, and the new Labor Code allows up to 13 hours daily. The July 2025 National Employment Survey shows only 49.1% of working-age Cubans are employed, 10 points below the Latin American average, with an aging workforce averaging 44 years old.
Eduardo, a crane operator at a cement factory in Nuevitas, earned 30,000-35,000 pesos monthly until the oil blockade halted the project. He missed pre-pandemic worker benefits like food packages and housing. 'In a country like Cuba, with constant shortages and rising prices, it’s better to have the product than the money,' he lamented. Remittances of 200 dollars equal over 100,000 pesos, allowing life without formal work, and internet access has boosted digital jobs, especially among women.
