The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Labor and Social Security has issued a new salary guide for 2007 that raises the minimum wage for new university graduates at state-owned enterprises by more than 50 percent.

College graduates should now expect a monthly income of between a minimum of 1,770 yuan (US$232.8) and a maximum of 6,450 yuan, up 54.5 percent and 12.6 percent respectively, on last year, the guidelines state.

The wage range is supposed to act as a guide for private and overseas companies but, in reality, it is up to the employer.

"The salary guidelines only provide a reference for employees and employers of private and foreign companies since their wages are based on agreement from both sides," said Zhang Yang, a bureau official.

"But state-owned enterprises within the Beijing Municipality must calculate their wages according to our guidelines," he stressed.

The bureau's "Salary Guide for the Beijing Labor Market and Report on Current Labor Costs in Companies", released on Tuesday listed salary guidelines for 535 occupations in Beijing.

According to the guide, company presidents should earn no more than 545,566 yuan (US$71,785) a year.

Beijing first launched the salary guide in 1998, with guidelines for 20 occupations, in an effort to strengthen supervision of wage distribution. Similar guides are issued in China's 31 other provinces or regions.

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2007)