Characteristics contributing to low- and minimum-wage labour in Germany.

Autor/inn/en	Dütsch, Matthias; Himmelreicher, Ralf
Titel	Characteristics contributing to low- and minimum-wage labour in Germany. Gefälligkeitsübersetzung: Merkmale von Niedriglohn- und Mindestlohnarbeit in Deutschland.
Quelle	In: Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik, 240 (2020) 2/3, S. 161-200 PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0021-4027; 2366-049X
DOI	10.1515/jbnst-2018-0076
Schlagwörter	Beschäftigungsstruktur; Unternehmensgröße; Qualifikationsstruktur; Mindestlohn; Niedriglohn; Mindestlohn; Niedriglohn; Unternehmensgröße; Beschäftigtenzahl; Beschäftigungsstruktur; Qualifikationsstruktur; Geschlechterverteilung; Sektorale Verteilung
Abstract	"In this article we examine the correlation between characteristics of individuals, companies, and industries involved in low-wage labour in Germany and the risks workers face of earning hourly wages that are below the minimum-wage or low-wage thresholds. To identify these characteristics, we use the Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2014. The SES is a mandatory survey of companies which provides information on wages and working hours from about 1 million jobs and nearly 70,000 companies from all industries. This data allows us to present the first systematic analysis of the interaction of individual-, company-, and industry-level factors on minimum- and low-wage working in Germany. Using a descriptive analysis, we first give an overview of typical low-paying jobs, companies, and industries. Second, we use random intercept-only models to estimate the explanatory power of the individual, company, and industry levels. One main finding is that the influence of individual characteristics on wage levels is often overstated: Less than 25 % of the differences in the employment situation regarding being employed in minimum-wage or low-wage jobs can be attributed to the individual level. Third, we performed logistic and linear regression estimations to assess the risks of having a minimum- or low wage job and the distance between a worker's actual earnings and the minimum or low-wage thresholds. Our findings allow us to conclude that several determinants related to individuals appear to suggest a high low-wage incidence, but in fact lose their explanatory power once controls are added for factors relating to the companies or industries that employ these individuals." (Author's abstract, © De Gruyter).
Erfasst von	Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Nürnberg
Update	2020/3