[SeminoleCounty]

I doubt Germans are only paying $534 per month for jobs. Their minimum wage is much higher than the US....and Germany has some of the best employee benefits in the world....usually mandated by law

I think this French guy is full of it. France must be really Socialist to complain about Germany’s low wages

[wolf78]

I doubt Germans are only paying $534 per month for jobs.

What Hamon is referring to is a so-called "400 Euro Job". Wikipedia says:

Minor employment (also called "mini-jobs" or "400-euro jobs") is according to German social security law an employment relationship with a low absolute level of earnings (slightly salaried employment), or employment relationship of short duration (short-term employment). In Germany such employment is exempt from social security, and there are even special features in the income tax law."

These are usually second jobs or part-time jobs for moms. I believe Harmon's point is that under some circumstances this is a subsidy for employers, which don't have to pay their share for e.g. health insurance costs, when e.g. a marginally employed wife get benefits through her husband's health insurance, driving up health insurance costs and lowering disposable income for everyone else.

Their minimum wage is much higher than the US....

Impossible. Germany has no compulsory minimum wage. Most companies in Germany match the minimum wages for their industry agreed upon by collective bargaining. One example for a rather high paying industry would be metal workers (starting at 8.50 euros for for temporary workers, 11 for regular workers), but in some cases wages they are much lower.