WSI-Mindestlohnbericht 2018 : Preisentwicklung dämpft reale Lohnzuwächse

When in January 2018 new minimum wages came into force across a large number of countries, they in part entailed substantial gains for employees. In the European Union, the dynamic growth trajectory of previous years continued with a median increase of 4.4 %. However, the recent uptick in consumer prices implies more modest real gains of 2.8 % (compared to 5.1 % in the previous year). The driving force behind this trend is particularly rapid minimum wage growth in a number of member states in Central and Eastern Europe. Starting from a substantially lower level, minimum wages in these countries continue to close in on those in Western Europe, in particular when differences in purchasing power are taken into account. The WSI Minimum Wage Report analyses these developments and places them within the context of the current political debate around a European minimum wage policy. In addition to the recent push in this direction by the French President Macron, a European framework for minimum wages has also been endorsed by the political parties CDU, CSU and SPD in their recent coalition agreement. The report concludes that in Germany, with its comparatively low minimum wage levels, there is still scope for action to achieve living wages.