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At the turn of the year, the minimum wage increases from 9.60 euros to 9.82 euros.
But the traffic light coalition has promised more: there should be at least 12 euros in the coming year for all low-wage earners.
The corresponding law is due to be in place at the beginning of 2022 and is already providing defensive reactions from employers who, among other things, are threatening legal action.
A minimum wage increase to 12 euros would affect 44 percent of companies in Germany, while the increase would have no effect on half.
This is the result of a survey of over 600 HR managers in German business that the Ifo Institute for Economic Research carried out and that is available exclusively to SPIEGEL.
The companies that were feeling the effects of the new regulation were also asked what proportion of their workforce this would affect: On average, the wages would rise for 23.5 percent of employees.
This proportion would be highest among service providers (32.8 percent) and lowest in industry (13 percent).
The survey is part of the Randstad Ifo personnel manager survey, with which the perspectives of the German personnel departments on economic activity are asked.
It takes place quarterly, this time the survey period ended in the first week of December.
The interviewed HR managers also expect strong wage increases with regard to the entire workforce - 78 percent assume that they will go a step further in the course of the year, with an average of 4.7 percent more wages and salaries.
The other respondents see wages in their companies that will remain the same for 2022.
"Falling wages were only reported very sporadically," writes the Ifo.
The larger the company, the more likely it is that wages will rise - but the increases are greater even in many smaller companies.
Problems with skilled workers drive salaries
It is noticeable that in trade and in service companies the increases among unskilled employees will be higher than among skilled workers without a managerial function.
That, in turn, should have something to do with the minimum wage, and it doesn't even have to do with the planned € 12 step of the traffic light coalition.
Because an increase to 10.45 euros is also a regular deal on July 1st.
Another reason for wage increases is likely to be the shortage of skilled workers that HR departments experience.
80 percent of those surveyed will be looking for skilled workers in the coming year, and almost all of them are faced with medium to large problems.
That fits in with another survey by the Ifo: In October, 43 percent of companies stated in the regular business survey that the shortage of qualified workers was already hampering their business.
The number has never been so high.
Anyone who wants to win over such employees has to offer something.
