Overview
- The cabinet decision implements the independent Minimum Wage Commission’s proposal and replaces the current €12.82 statutory floor.
- Official estimates suggest up to 6.6 million employees could benefit from the higher wage levels.
- Social groups, including VdK, argue the increase falls short of needs after recent inflation and call for a €15 hourly floor.
- Small businesses warn they will pass higher labor costs to customers, with a hairdresser citing expected price rises of about 4% to 6%.
- The change lifts the monthly mini‑job limit to €603 from 2026 due to its legal link to the minimum wage, shifting the lower bound of the mid‑job range accordingly.