Does Germany need to work more seriously? Its government seems to think so

In response, Counselor Friedrich Mirz said that the Germans need to work more hard to make the economy more productive, because it has not grown much in the past five years.

He said in May: “We must work in this country again, and above all, more efficiently,” he said in May. “Not with a four -day work week and” a balance between work and life “, we will be able to keep our prosperity!”

OECD search is supported by 2024 Eurostat Data, which also found that the Germans pierced at the bottom end of the scale compared to their European Union neighbors. The Europeans who work for most hours in Greece, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, where the average work week is about 39 hours. The Netherlands had a lowest medium in 32 hours a week, followed by Austria in 33.9 hours and Germany in 33.9 hours.

Throughout Europe, the average number of hours that employees made full -time in their main job was 36 hours in 2024, according to Eurostat. The United Kingdom and France are affiliated with this average, as they both reached about 36 hours.

German productivity

In addition to working less hours, every hour less productive. German work productivity per hour was 1.7 % lower in the second quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of 2023, according to European Central Bank data. It has also been a main flat since 2009.

Many note that with a decrease in productivity and 11 % of the workforce that will retire in the next ten years, there are real concerns about how Germany is funding for people’s social security. Migration can be a solution, as shown before Guardian recently Graph As the expected population is declined by 2100, it has become an increasingly controversial issue in European countries. Without a solution, Germany cannot implement the improved infrastructure of 500 billion euros, and there is also the scheduled defensive spending that many European Union countries adhere to.

Some argue with the need to cancel a public holiday, as Denmark did in 2023; The current French Prime Minister, Francois Bayro Causing Break by trying to remove two calendar year. Others prefer to use tax incentives to encourage people to enter the workforce. In Germany, there is currently a legal limit prohibiting employees to work for more than eight hours a day.

Mirz, for his part, wants to cancel this daily limit to work while maintaining the work week for 40 hours, allowing working days to become more flexible. Others want to encourage people of retirement, 67 years and over, to continue working and earn up to 2000 euros per month, while extinguishing the tax, encouraging more people to stay at work longer.

Pathological leave is increasing

Another issue throughout Europe, in general, is that people are retiring early, citing fatigue and general exhaustion, a trend that affects the entire working population. In fact, the unions are less focused on wage increases and more on getting more time.

Microsoft’s modern data indicator finds that many workers suffer from “The day of endless work.After analyzing “trillion” data points in all of their products, it seems that most workers are unable to complete Morning drink.

Moreover, workers often call on sick. In 2023, statistics indicate that the average worker in Germany took a medical leave for 15.1 days, which is the highest recorded number so far. Its neighbor, France, is also suffering Under the highest levels of pathological holidays; Les Echos Reports that during the first six months of 2024, the cost of French workers who took a sick leave by 8.5 % compared to 2023.

All this indicates that it may be an arduous battle to return people to the labor market. However, with the progress of the workforce and economic stagnation, the balance between working hours and productivity is still an important issue; It was never important to determine the difference between more or the best or the most efficient.

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