Auswirkungen des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns auf Betriebe und Unternehmen

"In this research report, we analyze various effects of the German minimum wage introduction for 2015 and 2016, using establishment-level data from the IAB-Establishment Panel. The outcomes of interest are several aspects of labor demand, establishments' productivity and profitability, as well as investments in physical and human capital. In the analyses concerning establishment-level adjustments in bordering regions of eastern Germany, we observe a slight increase in the incidence of working time and price adjustments among affected establishments. Looking at establishment-level employment adjustments, we estimate effects from differences-in-differences and observe that 46.000 to 59.000 additional jobs would have been created in the absence of the minimum wage. We also find some weak evidence for a reduction in employee turnover and a slight lagged increase in the use of freelancers in 2016. Descriptive time series show a reduction in the number of internships, which could be explained by the minimum wage but also by improving labor market conditions. We do not observe any effects on labor productivity or the employers' perceived competitive pressure. However, the difference-in-difference estimation shows a small reduction in the affected employers' expected transaction volume in 2015. Additionally, we find a slight increase in the likelihood of losses, but barely any hints for effects on establishment closure. When we analyze effects of the minimum wage on profits, we observe a reduction, although imprecisely estimated. This reduction can be fully explained by the minimum wage induced increase in wage costs. We do not observe an effect on investments in physical capital. When we look at investments in human capital, we neither observe effects on the number of apprentice positions nor the number of hired apprentices. However, when we look at further training, some of our regressions point to a slight reduction, especially when the training is financed by the employer." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))