The number of low -wage jobs in Germany has dropped by 1.3 million within ten years. The low -wage rate in the eastern federal states – because of the introduction of the minimum wage, shrank particularly strongly.
Between April 2014 and April 2024, the number of low -wage jobs nationwide declined by 1.3 million. The Federal Statistical Office announced today. Most recently, around 6.3 million employment relationships and thus almost every sixth job with gross hours of earnings below the low -wage threshold of EUR 13.79 were paid.
Share in the east fell from 35 to 18 percent
The low -wage sector in the east shrank significantly more than in the west: the proportion in the eastern federal states halved almost from 35 to 18 percent in the ten -year comparison. In the western countries, on the other hand, the proportion fell only by three percentage points from 19 to 16 percent.
The low -wage sector includes all employment relationships (without trainees), which are paid with less than two thirds of the middle gross hour of earnings.
Statutory minimum wage since 2015
According to experts, the massive statistical changes are primarily due to the introduction of the statutory minimum wage on January 1, 2015. In April 2014, more than every fifth job (21 percent or around 7.6 million) was found in the low -wage sector. At that time, the low -wage threshold was 10 euros gross per hour.
Nationwide, the low -wage ratio decreased between April 2022 and April 2023: During this period, the proportion of jobs below the low -wage threshold fell by three percentage points from 19 to 16 percent. The background: In the same period, the statutory minimum wage rose from 9.82 euros to 12 euros.
Germany lags in international Comparison afterwards
However, in 2024 the low-wage rate was no longer decreased compared to 2023, said the expert from the Hans Böckler Foundation's Economic and Social Science Institute (WSI), Malte Lübker. “The explanation is simple: since then the minimum wage has only increased in mini-steps.”
In Germany, there is still a large low -wage sector in international comparison. “The Nordic countries, but also France and Italy do it better,” said Lübker. The key to success is a high collective bargaining – “also in the industries such as retail and hospitality, in which low -wage employment is widespread”.
Distance between low and Better earning shrunk
Between 2014 and 2024 not only the proportion of low-wage jobs has decreased, but also the distance between low and better earners: for example, better earning (top ten percent of the wage scale) recently received three times the gross hour of earnings from low-earning (lower ten percent). In April 2014 it was 3.48 times.
In April 2024, a person was one of the low earners up to a gross hour of earnings of 13 euros, while gross per hour is counted from EUR 39.05.
