13.90 EUR per hour. That's Germany's new statutory minimum wage since January 1, 2026. The biggest single increase since the Mindestlohn was introduced in 2015: a jump of 1.08 EUR from the 12.82 EUR in 2025. For a full-time worker, that translates to roughly 180 EUR more gross per month. Doesn't sound like much. But in an economy where up to 4.8 million jobs are directly affected according to Destatis (Germany's Federal Statistical Office), every cent moves a lot.
4.8 million jobs. That's around 12% of all employment relationships in the country. In some industries, significantly more. In hospitality, 47% of all jobs fell below the new minimum wage threshold. In agriculture and forestry, 37%. In arts, entertainment, and recreation, 33%. These aren't niche sectors. They're the ones that directly shape what you pay in everyday life: at restaurants, at the bakery, at the hairdresser, at the weekly market.
Who Actually Earns More
The Destatis analysis shows a clear pattern. The minimum wage increase disproportionately affects:
Women. 14% of female employment relationships fell below the new threshold, compared to 11% for men. Part-time work and Minijobs (tax-exempt marginal employment), both more common among women, explain part of the gap.
Eastern Germany. In the eastern Bundesländer (federal states), about 14% of jobs were affected, versus 12% in the west. The wage gap between east and west is plain to see here: more jobs at the bottom of the pay scale means a minimum wage increase hits harder in those regions.
Younger workers. Career starters, students with side jobs, trainees in certain industries. If you're just starting out, you're more likely to earn at or near the minimum wage.
The estimated total earnings of affected workers rose by up to 6% according to Destatis, roughly 275 million EUR in absolute terms. Money that flows directly into consumption, because minimum wage earners typically save little to nothing.
The Minijob Threshold Rises Too
Something many people overlook: the Minijob threshold has been tied to the minimum wage since October 2022. The formula: minimum wage × 130 hours ÷ 3 months. At 13.90 EUR, that comes to 603 EUR per month (up from 556 EUR).
This means: if you work a Minijob at minimum wage, you can still work around 10 hours per week without losing your tax-exempt status. The threshold grows automatically. For employers, though, it means higher costs per working hour, even for marginal employment.
The Übergangsbereich (transition zone for Midijobs) starts at 603.01 EUR and goes up to 2,000 EUR. Workers in this range pay reduced social security contributions that gradually increase to the full rate as income rises.
