Statutory youth minimum wage to rise from January 2027
The exact amounts will follow from the new indexation of the adult minimum wage.
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Young people aged 16 to 20 inclusive will be entitled to a higher statutory youth minimum wage from 1 January 2027. According to the Lower House, Minister J.A. Vijlbrief for Social Affairs and Employment informed the House on Thursday about the indexation of the minimum wage.
The letter to the House concerns the indexation of the statutory minimum wage from 1 January 2027. As the youth minimum wage is derived from it, the statutory wages for young people will also rise. The precise amounts will be set out in the ministerial regulation attached to the letter to the House.
According to the government regulation, the cabinet previously decided to adjust the age bands for young people. As a result, from 2027, those aged 16 to 20 inclusive will receive a larger share of the adult minimum wage. For 15-year-olds, the percentage remains 30 per cent under the published regulation. The separate lower band for bbl students is also being abolished.
The measure could affect companies employing young people on the youth minimum wage. Employees earning less than the new youth minimum wage will have to receive a higher gross wage. This could mean higher direct labour costs for their employers. They may try to absorb those costs through prices, productivity or a different workforce mix.
The cabinet supports the increase with the desire to improve the income position of working young people. The explanatory memorandum to the regulation states that young people on the youth minimum wage are often pupils or students and generally work fewer hours. At the same time, possible effects on education and employment were considered during the preparation.
The indexation of the adult minimum wage is separate from the structural change to the age bands. As a result, the final amount a young person will receive per hour cannot yet be derived from Thursday's published letter to the House alone. The adult statutory minimum hourly wage for 2027 must first be officially established.
The Lower House has received the documents, but this does not automatically make the regulation a new political decision by the House. Formal publication and entry into force will determine which amounts employers must apply from January. Employers' organisations and employees will mainly see the effects in payroll administration and in collective-agreement wages linked to the statutory minimum.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The youth minimum wage will be increased from 1 January 2027.
- The regulation applies to young people aged 15 to 20 inclusive, with age-dependent percentages.
- The lower bbl band will be abolished.
Left
Arguments A higher youth wage strengthens young people's financial security and prevents employees doing the same work from structurally earning much less because of their age.
Values Equality, employee protection and a wage more closely aligned with the cost of living.
Consequences Young people will have more income left over, while employers may face higher costs or be less quick to hire young people.
Centre
Arguments The increase is defensible, but should be introduced gradually and predictably so that employers can adjust their rotas, prices and training programmes.
Values Balance, feasibility and preserving opportunities for a first job.
Consequences A gradual introduction could improve young people's income position without putting access to work and work-based learning places under unnecessary pressure.
Right
Arguments The government should be cautious about labour costs that feed through into prices and demand for young workers. Finding a job is more important for young people than a high statutory minimum.
Values Employment, entrepreneurship and limited government intervention.
Consequences Employers may hire fewer young people, automate more or pass on higher costs.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article's core is supported by official government documents. The text clearly distinguishes between the already decided increase in the youth wage bands and the exact amounts still to be determined.
- confirmed The youth minimum wage will be increased from 1 January 2027. — Mentioned in the legislative calendar and the Bulletin of Acts and Decrees. source
- confirmed The lower band for bbl students will be abolished. — Included in the official regulation. source
- confirmed The letter to the House about indexation is dated 29 October 2026. — The date and sender are stated on the Lower House website. source
Editor's note
The increase and the structural change to the youth wage bands have been confirmed. The exact hourly wages from January 2027 were not yet presented as final amounts in the letter to the House consulted.Sources
- Indexatie van het wettelijk minimumloon per 1 januari 2027 — Tweede Kamer
- Verhoging wettelijk minimumjeugdloon — Overheid.nl
- Staatsblad 2026, 279 — Overheid.nl