The labor market situation of recent years shows: High employment and low unemployment are possible with the right policies and in a flourishing economy.
About the topic
The German labor market has been in a state of flux in recent years: Due to structural change and digitization, jobs have been lost in some sectors, for example in mining or industry, but at the same time many new jobs have been created in the digital world of work. However, despite recent successes, millions of people are still looking for a job, although skilled workers are becoming scarce as a result of demographic change. Going forward, therefore, the goal remains to increase labor force participation, promote occupational mobility, make it easier for people to get into jobs, and keep the shortage of skilled workers at bay for the economy.
Meanwhile, the demands on employees are changing rapidly. Digitalization and internationalization are shaping the world of work. Aging and heterogeneous workforces pose difficult tasks for HR policy. Companies are well equipped if they succeed in balancing the different requirements.
Employees' earnings, i.e. wages and salaries, can be freely negotiated with their employers - in some cases, the leeway is limited by collective agreements. Wage policy also determines how many skilled workers employers can retain. Overall, wages have risen steadily over the past few years, which has led to an increase in prosperity.
Carolin Fulda / Hagen Lesch / Christoph Schröder / Sandra Vogel IW-Analyse No. 154 5. December 2023
The Influence of the Minimum Wage on Collective Bargaining
This analysis examines the connection between collective wage bargaining in Germany and the adjustments to the statutory minimum wage determined by the Minimum Wage Commission since June 2020.
Mareike Decker / Carolin Fulda / Maisun Lange IW-Trends No. 4 24. November 2023
Working with Long COVID: Impacts and Options for Work Arrangements
A SARS-CoV-2 infection can have long-term health consequences, a phenomenon commonly known as Long COVID, which often affect individuals of working age.
Andrea Hammermann /Roschan Monsef / Oliver Stettes IW-Report No. 55 20. October 2023
KI and the Labor Market: An Analysis of Employment Effects
It has been about ten years since Frey and Osborne's study on the automation risks of occupations in the USA fuelled the debate on the end of work due to digitalisation worldwide. Since then, numerous scientific studies have been published to examine the ...
Andrea Hammermann /Roschan Monsef / Oliver Stettes IW
Research Unit: The World of Work and Collective Bargaining Policy
The labor market situation of recent years shows: High employment and low unemployment are possible with the right policies and in a flourishing economy.
This analysis examines the connection between collective wage bargaining in Germany and the adjustments to the statutory minimum wage determined by the Minimum Wage Commission since June 2020.
Working with Long COVID:
Impacts and Options for Work Arrangements
Mareike Decker / Carolin Fulda / Maisun Lange
A SARS-CoV-2 infection can have long-term health consequences, a phenomenon commonly known as Long COVID, which often affect individuals of working age.
KI and the Labor Market:
An Analysis of Employment Effects
Andrea Hammermann /Roschan Monsef / Oliver Stettes
It has been about ten years since Frey and Osborne's study on the automation risks of occupations in the USA fuelled the debate on the end of work due to digitalisation worldwide. Since then, numerous scientific studies have been published to examine the employment effects of technology such as robotics.
Andrea Hammermann /Roschan Monsef / Oliver Stettes
IW
Record immigration not only due to flight from Ukraine
Wido Geis-Thöne
In 2022, more people immigrated to Germany than ever before in the history of the Federal Republic. Around 1.46 million more people moved here than left the country, which is more than a quarter more than the previous record of 1.14 million from 2015.
This website uses necessary cookies to ensure the operation of the website. An analysis of user behavior by third parties does not take place. You can find detailed information about the use of cookies in our privacy policy.
Warning: You are using an outdated browser!
Please switch to a modern browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge) in order to enjoy the best user experience.
German Economic Institute (IW) 
