What replacement rate applies to Kurzarbeitergeld?

Kurzarbeitergeld replaces 60% of the net wage difference between full and reduced hours, or 67% if the employee has at least one child for whom the higher Lohnsteuer rate applies. The rate is applied to the lost net pay, not to the full wage.

What is the Nettoentgeltdifferenz?

It is the gap between the net wage you would have earned at full hours (Soll-Entgelt) and the net wage you actually earned during the short-time month (Ist-Entgelt). The benefit is a percentage of this gap, which is why working fewer hours produces a larger benefit.

Do I still earn my reduced wage on top of the benefit?

Yes. You receive your actual reduced net wage from the employer plus the Kurzarbeitergeld from the Agentur für Arbeit. The tool adds them together so you can see total monthly income compared with your normal full-hours net pay.

Why does the official figure differ slightly from mine?

The Agentur für Arbeit uses standardized flat-rate net amounts from the official KUG table rather than your exact payslip net. This calculator uses the net figures you enter, so it is an approximation that is close but not identical to the administrative result.

Is there an income cap?

Yes. The calculation is based on gross pay up to the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (contribution ceiling); earnings above it are not counted. If you enter net amounts derived from capped gross figures, the result already reflects this limit.

Germany Kurzarbeitergeld Calculator

Kurzarbeit lets German employers cut working hours during a downturn instead of making staff redundant, with the state topping up part of the lost wages through Kurzarbeitergeld (KUG). This calculator applies the statutory replacement rate to the net-wage shortfall so employees and works councils can see roughly what the benefit and total income will be.

How it works

The benefit is a share of the net wage you lost by working fewer hours:

Nettoentgeltdifferenz = Soll-Netto − Ist-Netto
Kurzarbeitergeld      = difference × rate
rate                  = 0.67 if the employee has a child, else 0.60
Gesamteinkommen       = Ist-Netto + Kurzarbeitergeld

Soll-Netto is the net you would earn at full hours; Ist-Netto is the net you actually earn in the reduced month. Because the rate applies to the difference, a deeper hours cut produces a larger benefit.

Example and notes

An employee normally nets €2,000 but only €1,200 during a short-time month. The lost net is €800. Without a child the benefit is €800 × 0.60 = €480, giving total income of €1,680 — about 84% of the normal net. With a child the benefit is €800 × 0.67 = €536, for €1,736 total.

Notes: the Agentur für Arbeit computes the two nets from gross pay using standardized table values up to the contribution ceiling, so the official figure will be close to, but not exactly, this estimate. Treat the result as guidance, not legal advice.