Hundreds of thousands benefit from minimum wage increase - Bavaria’s bold plan: Two minimum wage hikes by 2026 to lift low earners
Bavaria will raise its minimum wage twice in the next two years. The first increase, to €14.60 per hour, takes effect on January 1, 2025. A second rise, to €13.90, follows exactly a year later.
The 2025 hike could initially help up to one million workers. Many of these employees earned less than €14.60 in April 2024, but ongoing wage adjustments mean fewer people will qualify by the time the change arrives. On average, those affected will see a six percent rise.
Women and service workers stand to gain the most. Around 12 percent of women in low-wage roles will benefit, along with a similar share of service employees. In hospitality, the impact is even clearer—over 47 percent of workers in that sector currently earn minimum wage. The 2026 increase to €13.90 is projected to support around 688,000 employees. Like the earlier rise, this figure may shrink as other wages climb before the new rate begins.
Both wage hikes will lift earnings for hundreds of thousands of Bavarian workers. The biggest gains will go to women, service staff, and hospitality employees. Exact numbers will depend on wage growth in the months ahead.
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