A 2025 earnings survey by Germany’s federal statistical office (Destatis) shows that the January 1, 2026 minimum‑wage rise to €13.90 per hour will affect up to 4.8 million jobs nationwide. Roughly one in eight workers (about 12 %) were recorded in April 2025 earning below the new ceiling. If those positions are paid the new rate, total earnings for affected staff could climb by as much as 6 %, equating to roughly €275 million.
The calculation assumes every affected worker had been paid the previous minimum wage of €12.82 and does not factor in any wage increases that occurred after April 2025. With a steady number and composition of jobs, the figures are therefore upper limits.
An earlier survey from April 2024 had estimated that 6.6 million jobs would be hit by the same rise. The lower number now can be partly explained by wage hikes that took place in the intervening year.
Gender and sectoral differences are noticeable. Women occupy lower‑paid roles more frequently, so the wage boost is felt more often in women‑run jobs: about 14 % of female‑held jobs see a higher hourly rate versus roughly 11 % for men. Industry‑wise, the hospitality sector bears the biggest share (47 % of its jobs), followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing (37 %) and arts, entertainment and recreation (33 %). Public administration, defence and social insurance are the least affected, with just over 1 % of positions. Regionally, East Germany has a slightly higher incidence (≈ 14 %) than West Germany (≈ 12 %). Across the states, Saxony shows the highest proportion of affected jobs at nearly 15 %, while Bavaria records the lowest at 10 %.
The minimum wage is planned to rise again on 1 January 2027 to €14.60 per hour. Based on the April 2025 data, a maximum of 7 million jobs (around 18 %) could be impacted. If these workers receive the new rate, the overall earnings would rise by about 4 %-approximately €315 million-compared to the first increase. The estimate again relies on the assumption that all affected employees earned at least €13.90 from 1 January 2026 and ignores any wage rises after April 2025, so the figures are treated as upper limits by the statisticians.