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Germany’s cabinet has approved a pension reform designed to encourage workers who are nearing retirement to stay in the labor market longer.
Reuters reports that the reform features several incentives for workers who choose to delay their retirement. These incentives have been designed to relieve some of the economic pressures stemming from an ageing population and workforce shortages.
Workers who postpone the commencement of their pension by at least twelve months will receive a one-off payment equivalent to the pension payments they forfeited.
Additionally, employees who choose to extend their careers will benefit from employer contributions to both their pension and unemployment insurance directly added to their salaries — translating into a gross wage increase of 10.6%.
The pension reform is particularly important to the future of work in Germany given its projected age and workforce demographics. Germany’s interior ministry reports that by 2030 the country’s working population is expected to shrink by approximately 6.3 million people from 2010 levels. This demographic decline is expected to reduce GDP per capita due to fewer available workers supporting an increasing number of retirees.
The statutory retirement age in Germany is scheduled to increase to 67 by 2031 — up from the current 65.8 years. However, due to the contentious nature of further increasing the retirement age among coalition partners, the government opted for voluntary measures backed by financial incentives to encourage longer workforce participation.
With these measures, the government plans to establish more sustainable labor market in Germany, capable of supporting its aging population while maintaining economic stability.
