The importance of hard work and care has been instilled in Germans over generations. But now the inclination to work seems to be on the decline.
According to a survey, loyalty to the job has fallen sharply among Germany’s employees. In the career study by the insurer HDI, only 47 percent said that the job meant a lot to them. A year ago it was 58 percent.
Another question was about the importance of finances – only 41 percent answered that the job meant more to them than making money, ten percentage points less than in 2022.
The representative survey carried out by the Yougov survey institute on behalf of the HDI provided further evidence that the mood among the working population is not the best: Almost sixty percent said that the effects of the shortage of skilled workers were being felt in their respective jobs, 31 percent cited increased work pressure.
More than a third – 35 percent – fear impacts on the health of employees and the working atmosphere. Yougov surveyed 3,864 working people aged 15 and over in all sixteen federal states in May and June.
HDI: Skilled labor shortages will increase
“The shortage of skilled workers has now reached the heart of the German economy and will only increase in the coming years as the baby boomers leave the workforce,” said Jens Warkentin, CEO of HDI Germany. This presents companies with “tremendous challenges in terms of performance, process reliability and customer service”.
In the previous surveys in recent years, well over half of those surveyed said that the job meant a lot to them; during the course of the corona pandemic, in 2020 and 2021 this figure even increased to more than 60 percent. In the new edition of the survey, this value has now fallen to a lower level than before the pandemic in 2019.
In addition, 44 percent said that they did not feel supported in their respective companies, and half complained about a lack of opportunities for advancement. According to the HDI, the answers were much more positive for employees who see themselves supported in their company.
At the same time, according to the survey, quite a few people would generally be willing to continue working after retirement – at least if the conditions are right. More than a quarter said they would continue to work for more money. If conditions remained unchanged, however, it would only be ten percent.
Source: Stern
