ZEW Studies on the Effects of Minimum Wages in the Roofing Sector and the Waste Industry in Germany

At the end of 2010, the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) commissioned studies on the effects of minimum wages on employment, protection of employees and competition in all sectors with existing minimum wage regulations. The studies analysing the roofing sector and the waste industry were conducted by ZEW.

Both studies do not find any indications of reductions in employment in the sectors analysed. They also emphasise that this is due to sector-specific conditions. Therefore, it is questionable whether the results can be directly transferred to the effects of a nationwide minimum wage. Rather, they should be evaluated separately.

Study on the roofing sector (German only)

Study on the waste industry (German only)