Minimum wage increase: Over 35% of the new forces benefit in the hospitality industry!

Minimum wage increase: Over 35% of the new forces benefit in the hospitality industry!

What does the new year 2026 bring for employees in Germany? The increase in the minimum wage, which increases to 13.90 euros per hour from 1 January, is particularly explosive. This was decided in June 2025 by the minimum wage commission and will be available from 2026 according to [fre.de] (https://www.fr.de/wirtschaft/im-gastwerbe--profitiert- Mehr--jeder-jeder- Neue- Neue--Neue-Regel-bringen-Fuering-fuering-- 93873656.htmL) and employers strongly influence. The increase of 8.42 percent is to benefit the low earners in Germany and could mean a significant improvement in the quality of life for many.

According to a study by the Institute for Labor Market and Vocational Research (IAB), 13 percent of new employees will benefit from the minimum lighter increase, while only 5 percent of the employees already employed earn below EUR 13.90 per hour. Indiets such as agriculture and forestry are particularly affected with 53.2 percent and the hospitality industry, in which 35.3 percent of the newly hired employees will benefit from the wage increase.

Influence on new settings and mini jobs

The current discussion shows that employers could behave more carefully with new hires because they try to save costs. In this way, employers tend to make fewer new hires instead of terminating existing employment relationships, such as [food practice.de] (https://lebensmittelpraxis.de/handel-aktuell/4543- Arbeitsmarkt research-Mindelohnhung-- new settings-sterker.html). The proportion of new settings that are affected is 13 percent; part -time, the effects are even 16.7 percent.

In particular, mini -jobs are more in focus due to the minimum lighter increase, since around 39 percent are affected. This regulation could make mini jobs more attractive, but also carries the risk that regular employment relationships subject to social security contributions will be questioned. The NGG union pointed out that the hospitality industry remains a "minimum wage industry" and calls for the abolition of clauses that undermine collective agreements.

exceptions and criticism

Despite all the positive approaches, the discussion about exceptions and fair working conditions remains exciting. For this purpose, young people under the age of 18 without vocational training, certain interns or people in workshops for the disabled, as well as long -term unemployed in the first six months and occupants in prisons fall into a special regulation. The DGB calls for a nationwide tariff bond and better working conditions for all employees.

Another aspect that moves into the background but is no less important: The increase in the minimum wage in Germany to 13.90 euros corresponds to about 51 percent of the middle hourly wage of full -time employees. Germany is thus also noted in the European midfield, such as boeckler.de. Apparently the legislator is preparing for a further increase to 14.60 euros on January 1, 2027, which would affect around 12 percent of all job positions.