Chancellor Merz calls for a revolution in working hours: Fight against a shortage of skilled workers!

Chancellor Merz calls for a revolution in working hours: Fight against a shortage of skilled workers!

In Germany, the discussion about working hours has been given new impetus by a call from Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). In his first government statement, he called for a comprehensive debate about the organization of working hours in order to increase the country's competitiveness. The central focus is the fact that Germans work fewer hours compared to other OECD countries. A current study by the Institute of German Economics (IW) shows that the average annual working time of a German of working age is 1,036 hours, which is one of the lowest places in Europe. Only the French with 1,027 hours and the Belgians with 1,021 hours are worse off.

These figures cast a shadow over the German economy, especially given the shortage of skilled workers, which is considered one of the key economic challenges. There are currently 1.4 million unfilled positions in Germany, with the sanitary, heating and air conditioning technology sector particularly affected by this shortage, where over 12,000 positions remain unfilled. Projections suggest that 16 million baby boomers will retire by the mid-2030s. In order to compensate for this decline, a need for skilled workers from abroad of 300,000 to 400,000 per year is estimated.

Women and part-time work

Another aspect of the discussion is part-time employment, which particularly affects women. According to current data, 49% of women and only 11% of men work part-time. This often happens due to household responsibilities, caring responsibilities or childcare. Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) has therefore called for the world of work to be redesigned in order to create more full-time jobs for mothers. The federal government also plans to expand child care and introduce tax-free bonuses for switching from part-time to full-time jobs.

SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf has also emphasized the need to improve equality in the labor market and is calling for more flexibility in working hours, but without demanding an increase in working hours. Klüssendorf rejects the abolition of a public holiday to stimulate the economy.

Challenges and perspectives

The debate over working hours is not without controversy. Experts warn that the shortage of skilled workers cannot be solved by reducing public holidays. DIW boss Marcel Fratzscher argues that what is necessary is an increase in immigration and the reduction of bureaucratic hurdles for women and refugees. Historian Yvonne Robel points out that the current issue surrounding working hours and productivity contains “social explosives”.

In summary, it can be said that the pressure on the German economy is growing. The questions about working hours, productivity and the shortage of skilled workers must be seen and addressed in a larger context. In order to overcome the challenges, a “tremendous effort” will be required from the population, said Merz. A step in the right direction is the Skilled Immigration Act that recently came into force, but only 200,000 work visas were issued in the first year, showing that further improvements are needed.

For a detailed analysis of the situation in Germany you can read the reports from sueddeutsche.de and tagesschau.de read up.