Open Access

Kohler Sarah

• This study analyses the effects of the German federal minimum wage of 8.50€, introduced in 2015. First, the initial political, economic and legal situation in 2015 are assessed. This is followed by a theoretical evaluation of the wage factor in the labor market model outlined. The presented impacts on employment and real wages serve as a guideline and primary focus for the structure of the paper. The research indicates that in reaction to the minimum wage, contractual working hours were decreased. Other adaption measures undertaken to counteract increased costs, were productivity-enhancing measures such as more training. Furthermore, the data analysis hints towards structural shifts away from 450€-jobs towards social security employments. Moreover, within the observation period, the general employment rate in Germany increased in the high single-digit range. Regarding compensation effects, studies show that in anticipation of the reform; the general wage level was already increased. Besides the minimum wage, other wage clusters in the low-wage segment are affected by wage spillovers. As a result, it is suggested that consumption grows over proportionally because of the higher propensity to consume of low-income groups. Moreover, consumption depends on the spending behavior of government; which acquires more taxes and social security contributions due to the increased income. However, when it comes to profitability, businesses report difficulties in passing on increased labor costs to customers.