National minimum wage to rise in Germany


The national minimum wage in Germany is set to rise by 3.96% on 1 January 2019 from the current figure of €8.84 an hour to €9.19. There will be a further increase of 1.74% to €9.35 in January 2020. 


The figures are the unanimous recommendation of the minimum wage commission, made up of representatives of unions and employers plus academic experts, and the government is expected to implement them. The increase, which is almost twice as high as inflation, which was 2.1% in June, is in line with the average increase in collectively agreed rates.


In making its recommendations, the commission is required to start with the increase in collectively agreed rates, but then make a wider evaluation based on protecting workers, ensuring fair competition and avoiding any threat to employment.


€1 = 89p on 20 July