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Work in Germany

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  1. The Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance sets the rate at €13.90 gross an hour from 1 January 2026 and €14.60 gross an hour from 1 January 2027. Gesetze im Internet (Federal Ministry of Justice), Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  2. Since January 2026 the Minijob earnings ceiling is €603 a month. Pay from €603.01 to €2,000 falls in the transition band (Übergangsbereich), formerly the sliding zone. The Federal Employment Agency links both changes to the higher minimum wage. Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
  3. The ordinance behind both rates is dated 5 November 2025 and appears in the Federal Law Gazette as BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 268. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  4. The rate then rose to €12.82 an hour in January 2025. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  5. The fourth adjustment ordinance, dated 24 November 2023, set €12.41 an hour from January 2024. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  6. A one-off amendment to the Minimum Wage Act raised the rate to €12 an hour from 1 October 2022. The same law, dated 30 June 2022, also changed the rules on marginal employment such as Minijobs. Later adjustments stayed with the commission. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  7. The rate reached €10.45 an hour in July 2022. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  8. The rate rose to €9.82 an hour in January 2022. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  9. A further step took the rate to €9.60 an hour in July 2021. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  10. The third adjustment ordinance, dated November 2020, set €9.50 an hour from January 2021. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  11. The rate rose to €9.35 an hour in January 2020. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  12. The second adjustment ordinance, dated November 2018, set €9.19 an hour from January 2019. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  13. The first adjustment ordinance, dated November 2016, raised the rate to €8.84 an hour from January 2017. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
  14. Germany's general statutory minimum wage began on 1 January 2015 at €8.50 an hour, set directly in the Minimum Wage Act. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)

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