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Schäfer warns: Germany is threatened with a labor market bankruptcy! This is how we save him!
Discussion about Germany's working hours and incentives: Schäfer warns of productivity lag; Tax reduction reform proposals.
Schäfer warns: Germany is threatened with a labor market bankruptcy! This is how we save him!
The discussion about German working hours has become more intense. Labor market expert Schäfer speaks on Deutschlandfunk and emphasizes that it is not about laziness, but about the lack of attractiveness of working more. A central concern is to reduce the burden of taxes and social security. Schäfer points out that many employees often don't have the opportunity to increase their working hours, especially due to commitments such as child care. His warning is clear: other countries have overtaken Germany in terms of productivity and everything must be done to change this.
One concrete suggestion from Schäfer to improve the situation is to raise the retirement age to 70. This is a controversial topic that attracts both supporters and opponents. The CDU general secretary Linnemann also sees the need for greater commitment from citizens in order to secure long-term prosperity in Germany.
International comparison of tax burdens
An article from Bundesbank provides additional insights into the tax burden in Germany in an international comparison. The article divides the tax rate into a pension-related part and a tax-related part. This division is important for understanding how pension contributions and taxes are structured in different countries.
As part of the analysis, the gross replacement rate is considered, which describes the share of the pension payment in the last gross wage. The normalized coefficient of variation of these rates is calculated along the wage distribution. This ratio not only shows the spread of the gross replacement rates in relation to the mean, but is an important key figure for differentiating the tax and pension components.
Critical consideration of pension contributions
The results of the study make it clear that the treatment of pension contributions can vary greatly in some countries. The pension contribution is divided based on its equivalence orientation, with only basic pension systems being taken into account. In Germany this largely concerns the statutory pension insurance. Methodological exceptions apply to countries such as Belgium, France and Sweden, which have specific contribution assessment limits. The present calculations are based on the latest OECD data and also take pension reforms into account, provided these were already determined at the time of calculation.
The study therefore offers a valuable basis for assessing the challenges and framework conditions of the labor market in Germany. At the same time, it becomes clear that the measures to improve the attractiveness of work and to reduce the tax burden are closely linked. The future will have to show what political decisions will be made in this context in order to secure Germany's competitiveness in the long term.