The labor market situation of recent years shows: High employment and low unemployment are possible with the right policies and in a flourishing economy.
Labor and Income

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 labor economics. 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.
German Economic Institute (IW)

European Minimum Wage Directive and Strengthening Collective Bargaining Coverage
The EU Minimum Wage Directive recommends that EU Member States achieve a collective bargaining coverage of 80 per cent to ensure adequate minimum wages.
Hagen Lesch / Lennart Eckle / Sandra Vogel IW

Collective bargaining coverage and functional income distribution in international comparison
The study examines whether a high level of collective bargaining coverage influences the functional income distribution between companies and employees.
Christoph Schröder IW

Abolition of the Additional Earnings Limit
The ageing population in Germany is increasing pressure on the social insurance systems and will (in the future) exacerbate the shortage of skilled labour.
Ruth Maria Schüler / Stefanie Seele IW

Is Lifelong Learning the Key to Later Retirement?
There appears to be a connection between lifelong learning and remaining longer active in the labour market.
Wido Geis-Thöne / Andrea Hammermann / Ruth Maria Schüler IW
Our Experts

Dr. Christina Anger
Head of the Research Group Microdata
Tel: +49 221 4981-718 Mail: anger
Helena Bach
Senior Economist for wage policy and labor relations
Tel: +49 221 4981-665 Mail: bach
Alexander Burstedde
Senior Economist for qualification and securing skilled workers
Tel: +49 221 4981-217 Mail: burstedde
Dr. Wido Geis-Thöne
Senior Economist for Family Policy and Migration Issues
Tel: +49 221 4981-705 Mail: geis
Dr. Andrea Hammermann
Senior Economist for Personnel Economics
Tel: +49 221 4981-314 Mail: hammermann
Andrea Kurtenacker
Head of Professional Participation and Inclusion Research Unit
Tel: +49 221 4981-820 Mail: kurtenacker
Dr. Hagen Lesch
Head of Labour Economics and Collective Bargaining Policy Research Unit
Tel: +49 221 4981-778 Mail: lesch
Prof. Dr. Axel Plünnecke
Head of Education, Innovation and Immigration Research Unit
Tel: +49 221 4981-701 Mail: pluennecke
Holger Schäfer
Senior Economist for Labor Market Economics
Tel: +49 30 27877-124 Mail: Schaefer.holger
Christoph Schröder
Senior Economist for Wage Policy and Labor Relations
Tel: +49 221 4981-773 Mail: schroeder.christoph
Dr. Oliver Stettes
Head of Labour Economics and Collective Bargaining Policy Research Unit
Tel: +49 221 4981-697 Mail: stettes
Dr. Sandra Vogel
Senior Economist for Wage Policy and Labor Relations
Tel: +49 221 4981-746 Mail: sandra.vogelThe labor market situation of recent years shows: High employment and low unemployment are possible with the right policies and in a flourishing economy.
All news
Expert Workshop on the Industrial Accelerator Act
The German Economic Institute (IW) and Frontier Economics are pleased to invite you to a rapporteur & stakeholder workshop on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) in Brussels.
The Honesty-Attitude-Behavior Gap: A Cross-Country Comparison
Honesty reduces transaction costs and is therefore a prerequisite for effective economic cooperation.
Online-Veranstaltungsreihe „Von Brüssel nach Berlin”: Regionalentwicklung und Industriepolitik
Wir laden Sie herzlich zu einer weiteren Online-Veranstaltung unserer Veranstaltungsreihe „Von Brüssel nach Berlin“ ein. Mit ihr wollen wir in loser Folge Themen aus der europäischen in die deutsche Hauptstadt tragen.
Complementary Capabilities for Circular Practices: Firm-Level Evidence in Germany on the Role of Digitalization and Innovation
The transition to a circular economy (CE) requires firms to reconfigure business models, processes and capabilities.
Making Apprenticeships a Success: From Marketing to Hiring
In-company vocational training is a key factor in securing skilled labour. The first step in investing in future employees is to approach and recruit new apprentices. For many companies, filling the apprenticeship positions they offer is a challenge.
Transatlantic Subnational Innovation Competitiveness Index 3.0
Innovation and competitiveness drive productivity, economic growth, and welfare growth.
GTIPA Perspectives: Making AI Policy to Drive Innovation
Germany’s federal structure leads to a diverse landscape of AI policies across the country. While the EU AI Act establishes a general framework for AI policy throughout the continent, Germany’s federal government is responsible for national AI policies.
AI skills demand in the EU
More and more companies in Europe are using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. In 2025, one in five companies in the EU with 10 employees or more used at least one major AI technology, up from 8% in 2023 (Eurostat, 2026a).
Letter: Expanded EU carbon border tax is not a reaction to US tariffs
In his op-ed (August 12) Andrew Puzder, the US ambassador to the EU, accused the EU of double standards. He argued that criticising US tariffs on steel and aluminium derivatives while simultaneously imposing Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism charges on the same products, is hypocritical.
European Minimum Wage Directive and Strengthening Collective Bargaining Coverage
The EU Minimum Wage Directive recommends that EU Member States achieve a collective bargaining coverage of 80 per cent to ensure adequate minimum wages.
Your search returned an incorrect status. You may have selected too many filters. You can jump back to your previous selection to adjust your search.
Subscribe to our newsletters to receive updates on the latest IW publications.
Sign up here to stay informed.
