BEIJING -- Eighteen of the mainland's 31 provincial-level regions raised the minimum monthly wage by an average of 19.4 percent year-on-year by September.

The southern manufacturing hub of Shenzhen has the highest minimum monthly wage of 1,500 yuan (about $240.18) and Beijing has the highest minimum per-hour wage of 14 yuan, according to a Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security press conference on Thursday.

By the end of September, 20 provinces, regions and municipalities had issued salary guidelines for the year and the benchmark line grew about 14 percent, according to the ministry's spokesman Yin Chengji.

He said the ministry will speed in setting up an appraisal system on minimum wages. It will also explore ways to issue guidelines for minimum wages in key industries, and plan to carry out trial salary surveys in companies.