economy
April 2, 2026
THE DARK TRUTH ABOUT WORKING IN GERMANY
Although the minimum wage is formally paid, workers often receive only a part of it
TL;DR
- Seasonal workers in German agriculture, primarily from Eastern Europe, are working up to 16 hours a day and over 70 hours a week.
- Many workers experience illegal practices such as deductions from their minimum wage, retention of deposits, and charges for work equipment.
- Productivity norms have increased significantly, with hourly targets for asparagus harvesting rising from 11 kg to 14 kg.
- Seasonal workers constitute 28% of all cross-border agricultural workers in Germany, with an increasing number coming from outside the EU.
- The number of labor inspections has dropped dramatically, from 839 farms checked in 2021 to 274 in 2024.
- A rule requiring farms receiving state subsidies to provide fair working conditions is not being consistently enforced, according to unions.
- Unions oppose a proposal by the German Farmers' Association to reduce the minimum wage for seasonal workers by 20%, viewing it as discriminatory and potentially detrimental.
- Seasonal workers are indispensable to certain sectors of German agriculture, like asparagus production.