Minimum wage increase: around one in five jobs affected

The increase in the minimum wage in January 2026 will benefit around 359,000 employees in Saxony. That is around one in five (21 percent) jobs in Saxony, according to the State Statistical Office in Kamenz. With the increase in the minimum wage from 12.82 to 13.90 euros, the total earnings for those affected will rise by around 28 million euros. According to the report, women benefit slightly more than men.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the increase in the minimum wage will help around 17% of employees in Germany to earn more money. This is estimated by the Wiesbaden statisticians based on wage statistics from April 2024. In Saxony, slightly more people were therefore proportionately employed in the minimum wage sector.

Dehoga calls for urgent relief

According to the statisticians, the sector most affected by the minimum wage increase in Saxony is the hospitality industry. Here, 64 percent of employees are affected. This is a considerable challenge for the industry, said Axel Klein, Managing Director of the hotel and restaurant association Dehoga Sachsen, to the German Press Agency.

The companies are forced to pass on the rising wage costs to customer prices. But: "Entrepreneurs have to make sure that they don't lose out on the market with their product." The industry has already been recording real losses in turnover for years. It is to be feared that the trend will continue with further price increases. Relief is urgently needed elsewhere.

There is already a prospect of this: in their coalition agreement, the CDU and SPD have announced a permanent reduction in VAT in the catering industry to seven percent. The last time there was a reduced tax rate was during the coronavirus pandemic, which expired at the end of 2023.