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In the hospitality industry, 67 percent of jobs are below the low-wage threshold
Photo: Angelika Warmuth / dpa
In spring 2018, a good five employees in Germany worked for a low wage.
This means that around eight million jobs below the threshold of EUR 11.05 gross per hour were paid, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office.
That was almost 400,000 low-wage jobs more than four years earlier.
In the comparative year 2014, the low wage threshold was still 10 euros.
Low hourly wages are particularly common in retail and hospitality.
In retail, 29 percent of jobs are below the low-wage threshold,
in the hospitality industry it is a good two thirds (67 percent).
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The average gross hourly wage in hotels and restaurants was 10 euros, which puts the industry at the bottom of the German economy.
The highest average hourly earnings were found in the energy industry at 27.18 euros.
According to the international definition, a low wage is no more than two thirds of the median earnings of all employees, with apprentices being excluded from this analysis.
According to the Federal Office, the median hourly earnings in April 2018 were 16.58 euros.
This means that half of full-time employees earn more, the other half less.
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kim / dpa