BEIJING - Eight provinces and municipalities have released their annual enterprise salary increase guidelines, which signal the country has been making unambiguous and unwavering efforts to narrow disparities in income, experts said.

According to a notice posted by the Beijing municipal bureau of human resources and social security last Wednesday, enterprises in the capital that enjoy a sound development and achieve an increase in their profits are supposed to provide a 11 percent pay rise to their employees.

The maximum increase for workers' wages is set at 16 percent and the minimum at 3 percent, the notice said.