Automation in retail

[hazard]

However, teenagers are (supposedly) still in school, so they're only working part-time. The same wage per hour comes out to less for teenagers because they're working fewer hours.

That presumes they are in a situation where they have to remain in school or have the opportunity for it. Compulsory education ends after the school year you turn 16.

The minimum wage values (before taxes) varies between 15 and 22 years. Paying full wages at 16 means there's going to be a whole lot of 16 year old people who decide to stop their studies and start working, either because school has no interest to them, because their family's financial situation is that poor or because 1 500 euros (before taxes) is a lot of money in disposable income, especially when you can still mooch on your parent's wages for food and housing.

It also means that quite frankly there's no incentive for companies to hire kids when there's plenty of unemployed adults around who are far more flexible with their time, which is another concern. Yes, in general the young get shafted by the minimum wage law if they want to try to work full time, that's not a flaw. It is intended to encourage them to study for a better paying job, be it a skilled trade or otherwise.

The law for the minimum wage was first made law in 1968 (and was regularly updated, the first version declared the minimum wage 100 guilders per week for a 25 year old), the first compulsory education law in the Netherlands was first made law in 1901 (also updated several times).


From the national government's page, translated for your convenience.

Tabel: minimum wage per
Age month, week day (gross sums per 1 januari 2018)
22+ € 1.578,00 € 364,15 € 72,83
21 € 1.341,30 € 309,55 € 61,91
20 € 1.104,60 € 254,90 € 50,98
19 € 867,90 € 200,30 € 40,06
18 € 749,55 € 172,95 € 34,59
17 € 623,30 € 143,85 € 28,77
16 € 544,40 € 125,65 € 25,13
15 € 473,40 € 109,25 € 21,85