Subsidy for the vacation - Holiday money for about half of the tariff-employed
Nearly half of the collective labor force in Germany received vacation pay in these weeks. The Statistical Federal Office reports a share of 46.8 percent, which has remained unchanged since the previous year. On average, employees received 1644 Euro gross additional, representing an increase of 42 Euro or 2.6 percent compared to the previous year.
In the same timeframe, the prices for package vacations rose by 5.6 percent, as statisticians note. However, the contractually agreed special payment is not necessarily tied to the fact that it is actually paid out for the vacation. Whether employees received vacation pay who were not covered by collective agreements was not reported.
In the West, significantly more
In West Germany, Tarifbeschäftigte in full-time employment received on average 1692 Euro in vacation pay, significantly more than those in the East with an average of 1196 Euro. This could be related to the different wage levels, as vacation pay is often set as a percentage of a normal monthly salary in collective agreements. However, there are also fixed amounts.
The eligible personnel groups vary greatly depending on the collective agreement. Those employed in the manufacturing industry receive vacation pay to 96.9 percent, on average 2304 Euro. Special payments are also widespread in the construction industry (95 percent) and in the hospitality industry, but they are lower.
2722 Euro in vacation pay is given in the field of information and communication, but only about half of the employees actually benefit from it. The lowest vacation pay of an average of 326 Euro is received by people at temporary employment agencies.
In the "Public Administration, Defense; Social Security" sector, Tarifbeschäftigte receive no vacation pay. Here, the special payment was already merged with the Christmas bonus into a uniform annual bonus in 2005.
Statement of the Federal Statistical Office on Vacation Pay 2024
During discussions about potential subsidies for the labor market in Wiesbaden, the impact of increased tariffs on vacation money was brought up. The German government is considering various options, including adjusting vacation pay calculations, to account for the rise in package vacation prices. This journey could lead to significant changes in the labor market and the distribution of vacation money among workers.
