“Certificate of poverty for Germany”
Every fifth full-time employee earns less than 2,500 euros gross
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News in March that moves us: 2,500 euros gross and less salary – despite working full-time
The most important news in the BRIGITTE ticker
What moves the world? What moves the BRIGITTE editors? In this ticker we summarize the most important news for you in March.
March 1, 2023
Every fifth full-time employee receives a gross salary of EUR 2,500 or less
Every fifth full-time employee in Germany has to make do with a gross salary of 2,500 euros or less. This emerges from a response from the Federal Ministry of Labor to a request from left-wing faction leader Dietmar Bartsch, according to the NOZ. According to this, in 2021 4.7 million full-time employees in Germany were earning less than 2,500 euros gross. This in turn corresponds to 21.9 percent of all full-time employees.
Depending on which tax class and social security contributions apply to the person, not much is left over net. With tax class 1 it is about 1,700 euros net. The rent index in Germany is currently 11.56 euros per square meter. For a 60-square-meter apartment, the rent is just under 700 euros. If you look at Hamburg, the rent index is already 15.6 euros per square meter – more than 930 euros have to be paid for 60 square meters of rent. In Berlin it is 26 euros, which results in a cold rent of 1,500 euros.
In the past, it was always said that a reasonable rent should not be more than a third of the salary. For most, that is no longer possible. Dietmar Bartsch called the numbers “a sign of poverty for our country” and demanded: “We need higher wages in Germany.” Not only that life cannot really be financed with such a salary, poverty in old age is also inevitable. “We need a wage offensive in Germany that at least compensates for inflation. The unions’ demands are justified.”
Even more news
That was the news in February 2023.
Sources used: noz.de, zeit.de