Companies use many levers to absorb cost increases resulting from the minimum wage (in German).
A general statutory minimum wage was introduced in Germany at the beginning of 2015. On behalf of the Minimum Wage Commission, the IAW has now conducted a comprehensive qualitative study in industries that were heavily affected by the minimum wage to investigate the reactions of companies and employees to the minimum wage. The study showed that companies use a wide range of adaptation strategies to respond to the changes resulting from the introduction of the minimum wage.
Press release April 7, 2016
Handicrafts Amendment Act 2004: Expectations only partially fulfilled - but fears do not materialize either (in German).
Begleitforschung des Pilotprojekts „Transformation durch Handwerk“ im Auftrag der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA), IAW Policy Reports Nr. 25, August 2026
