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BVTM launches survey: How important are mini-jobs for the taxi and rental car industry?
A marginal employment would then become a regular employment relationship with the usual social security contributions and tax obligations. There is not yet a draft bill. Nevertheless, the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars (BVTM) is already preparing for the political debate. In the Committee on Labor, Social Affairs and Training, the association has considered the possible consequences. Now reliable data should first be collected. Through a nationwide survey of business owners, the BVTM wants to determine what role mini-jobs actually play today in taxi and rental-car companies and what effects a reform would have on the industry.
Many flexible employment arrangements in the taxi trade
The move is not accidental.
Hardly any other industry relies so heavily on flexible employment models as passenger transport.
Many companies employ mini-jobbers to absorb peak demand, cover weekend shifts, or economically staff certain times of the day.
Especially smaller businesses use marginally employed workers to be able to maintain enough drivers for off-peak times.
In an industry that has been struggling for years with rising costs, driver shortages and increasing competitive pressure, this flexibility is an important building block of many entrepreneurs' calculations.
However, the discussion about the future of mini-jobs extends far beyond the taxi trade.
The trigger is a report by the federal government's Commission on Old-Age Security. In it, the experts recommend abolishing the existing special status of Minijobs completely. Literally, the 'entire tax- and social-security-law special status of Minijobs' should cease to exist. Exceptions would be conceivable only for pupils. The commission argues that marginal employment could, in the long run, increase poverty risks and hinder the transition to regular employment. Moreover, it promises additional revenues for the social security systems.
The topic is attractive for policymakers. The financing of pension, health and long-term care insurance is becoming increasingly difficult in light of demographic change. Additional contributors therefore seem attractive. At the same time, labor market researchers have criticized for years that minijobs often persist permanently and that, in particular, women disproportionately often remain in marginal employment.
Supplementary income is an important part of the staffing structure
There are around 7.7 million marginally employed people in Germany. The number has recently declined slightly, but remains high. Minijobs are especially common in retail, in the hospitality industry, in service sectors—and indeed also in the transport industry. For taxi and rental-car companies, abolishing the special status could have significant consequences. For many drivers, they work only a few hours per week. Students, retirees, or employees with an additional side income form, in many places, an important part of the staffing structure.
If a minijob were to become a regular employment relationship in the future, not only would the social contributions rise. The bureaucratic burden would also increase. For many part-time drivers, the activity could become financially less worthwhile. Entrepreneurs, in turn, would have to decide whether they bear the additional costs or adjust their deployment planning.
It is still completely open how strong such effects would actually be. That is precisely why the BVTM's initiative is noteworthy.
Rather than committing early to political positions, the association first tries to establish a robust data basis. That seems sensible. Thus far, there are hardly any industry-specific figures about how many minijobbers are actually employed in taxi and rental-car companies and what functions they perform. The results could be decisive for the political debate. For the discussion is often conducted in very general terms. Proponents of the reform point to higher social security contributions and better protection of employees. Critics warn of a loss of flexibility and of the elimination of employment opportunities.
In fact, scientific studies show that previous labor-market policy reforms have partly transferred marginal employment into regular employment relationships. At the same time, employment opportunities were also lost. The effects are complex and differ significantly depending on the industry.
Taxi industry in a special situation
The industry is already in a phase of profound change. Rising wage costs, higher vehicle prices, the electrification of fleets, and competition with platform providers such as Uber or Bolt are putting many businesses under pressure. At the same time, companies in many places are grappling with driver shortages. Additional burdens could therefore have a significantly stronger impact than in other sectors.
There is still no political decision. There is still no bill. And even within the federal government, there is controversial debate about the future of minijobs. What is certain for now is only that the debate has been opened. For the taxi and rental-car industry, it is about how flexibly the sector can respond to demand fluctuations in the future—and which employment models will be possible in a changing mobility economy. That is precisely why the BVTM's survey is likely to be watched closely.
The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars e.V. is now surveying taxi and rental-car entrepreneurs about the importance of minijobs in the companies and about the assessment of the possible abolition of the special status for minijobs – here’s the link to the survey.
Content automatically translated.
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