The active population in figures

Note: (e) Estimated data

Working conditions

Legal weekly duration

Maximum 48 hours a week.

Retirement age

67 years old

Working contracts

The work contract is usually open ended with a trial period which may be up to 6 months. The contract may also be fixed term; it can be renewed 3 times maximum, and for a maximum duration of 2 years.

Cost of labor

Minimum wage

There is no legal minimum wage. However, some occupations have had, in practice, a minimum wage since July 2007: building work (8.40 EUR to 12.40 EUR per hour), roofing (10 EUR per hour), painting (7.15 EUR to 10.73 EUR per hour), demolition (8.80 EUR to 11.60 EUR per hour), cleaning (6.36 EUR to 7.87 EUR per hour), electricity (7.70 EUR per hour for East Germany and 9.20 EUR per hour in West Germany), caregivers since 2010, and possible future minimum wage for temporary jobs.

Average wage

Average wage is EUR 28,000 per year, ie EUR 2,000 per month.

Social contributions

Social security contributions paid by employers: 20.9 %
Social security contributions paid by employees: 20.9%

Social partners

Social dialogue and involvement of social partners

Unions are strong in Germany, however, the eastern side is more union orientated than the west. The overwhelming majority of trade union members are in eight unions grouped by industry or service sector. They are affiliates of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB), which counted 6.3 million members in 2009. At the company level, works councils represent the interests of workers vis-à-vis their employers.

Unions

DGB
Verdi
IG Metall

Unionization rate

21%

Labor regulation bodies

Ministry of Agriculture
Deutscher Bauernverband
BOLW