Germany’s Rentenkommission Proposes Full Social Insurance for Minijobs – Millions of Workers Would Be Affected
27.06.2026 - 20:32:56 | boerse-global.de
Germany’s Rentenkommission (Pension Commission) unveiled a sweeping overhaul of Minijob rules on June 26, recommending that all such employment become fully subject to social insurance contributions starting as early as next July. Under the proposal, only school pupils would be exempt. Pensioners, students, and other groups currently eligible for the marginal-employment scheme would have to pay into health, pension, unemployment, and long-term-care insurance.
The plan would end the current voluntary arrangement, under which Minijobbers can opt out of pension insurance. Until now, only a small fraction chose to contribute. At the present Minijob threshold of €603 per month, the commission estimates an employee’s share of contributions at roughly €21.50. Business associations in hospitality and retail immediately warned of higher personnel costs and less flexibility, particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia, where about 1.5 million people hold Minijobs.
A day earlier, on June 25, Chancellor Merz had touted the Aktivrente (active-pension) scheme, which took effect in January, as a success. Speaking at a Berlin event, he said a “five-digit number” of older workers had already taken advantage of the model. The Aktivrente allows employees past the standard retirement age to earn up to €2,000 a month (€24,000 a year) tax-free, though the income remains subject to social insurance. Self-employed individuals are excluded. Merz described the instrument as a way to strengthen competitiveness by keeping experienced workers in the labor force longer. Seniors can also still hold a standard Minijob.
Additional changes take effect on July 1. The allowance for offsetting personal income against widow’s pensions will rise by €45.67 to €1,122.53. At the same time, Minijobbers gain a one-time option to revoke any earlier waiver of mandatory pension-insurance coverage.
The federal government is pursuing further pension-modernization measures. A new Altersvorsorgedepot (retirement-savings account) is slated for introduction on January 1, 2027. However, on June 26 the Finance Ministry rejected demands to index the tax allowance for caring relatives to inflation, arguing that public spending must remain under control.
Also on June 26, the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) published an 11-page pension concept of its own. It proposes blending the statutory pension system with compulsory occupational pensions to achieve a replacement rate of 70 to 90 percent of the last net income, without raising the retirement age.
On the same day, the Saxony state parliament adopted an action plan for the skilled trades. The Meisterbonus (master-craftsman bonus) will increase from €2,000 to €3,000, and bureaucracy will be reduced by applying the “once-only principle” – a move aimed at making craft professions more attractive.
