Did you know that not every EU country has a statutory minimum wage?
In the Netherlands, every employee from the age of 15 is entitled to at least the statutory minimum (youth) wage.
This also applies for the employee entitled to a pension. As a rule, the amounts of the minimum wage are adjusted to the average development of wages in the Netherlands every six months (in January and in July).
From January 2024, a minimum hourly wage of € 13.27 applies to employees age 21 or older; until that date, monthly, weekly and daily wages are set by law.
But beware: if a collective labour agreement (CLA) applies between employer and employee in the Netherlands, the minimum wage to which the employee is entitled may be higher than the statutory minimum wage! A CLA may also have consequences for the number of working hours per week and the other employee benefits.
In most neighbouring countries, including Belgium, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, the minimum wage has also been laid down by law. In some countries, including Italy, the minimum wage is not prescribed by law, but exclusively determined by the employers’ and employees’ organisations.
Another difference is the amount of the minimum wage within the EU. According to the European statistics agency Eurostat, the highest minimum wage (in 2020, this was EUR 2,142 in Luxembourg) is almost seven times as high as the lowest minimum wage (EUR 312 in Bulgaria). The large differences can partly be explained by the different costs of living in the countries in question. When this difference is taken into account, the highest minimum wage is“only” 2.5 times higher than the lowest, according to Eurostat.
Below, you will find an overview of where you can find more official information about the minimum wage in:
- the Netherlands
- Belgium
- Germany
- France
- United Kingdom
- Italy: no information available, as this differs for each industry
What you need to remember about the minimum wage
In most countries, on top of the statutory minimum wage, collective labour agreements may apply with regard to the wage and the other employee benefits that employees in a specific industry are entitled to. For example, many Belgian companies are required to pay their employees a so-called 13th month bonus, and many German employees are entitled to Weihnachtsgeld (a Christmas allowance).
We recommend that you seek advice about such regulations to prevent being confronted with subsequent payments and fines later on.
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update: november 2023
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