Holidays away? Experts warn of risks for Germany's economy!
Holidays away? Experts warn of risks for Germany's economy!
The German economy has shrunk in the past two years, and the forecasts indicate a stagnation of economic output for the current year. These alarming developments have prompted employers' associations and business institutes to think about deleting a holiday. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) speaks for the need for more work. Among other things, this topic was discussed in the podcast "to the point", which will be released from Monday to Friday at 5 p.m.
The director of the Institute of German Economy (IW Cologne), Michael Hüther, also demands a reduction in public holidays in Germany. He argues that the abolition of a holiday could increase the economic output at short notice and effectively. According to IW calculations, an additional working day could increase gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 8.6 billion euros. Hüther refers to the abolition of the penance and bed day in 1995 as a positive example of this measure.
contradictory opinions
In contrast to Hüther, Marcel Fratzscher, Professor of Macroeconomics and President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), does not see the solution to the shortage of labor in the deletion of holidays. Fratzscher emphasizes that the shortage of labor cannot be remedied by the abolition of public holidays or by tax privileges for overtime. Instead, he calls for the hurdles for the employment of women, refugees and other people from abroad.The discussion about the effects of deleting a holiday on the German economy remains controversial. IW calculations show that an additional working day could make up to 0.2 percent of GDP. There are different calculation approaches: An economic output of around five billion euros would generate an economic performance through an additional working day, while the scenarios of the expert council suspect a increase in potential of up to 8.6 billion euros.
demographic challenges
In addition to the economic dimension, the demographic situation also plays a crucial role. IW expert Christoph Schröder points out that more and more people are retiring while fewer employees are moving up. Monika Schnitzer, head of economy, supports the abolition of a holiday to finance crisis loads and refers to Denmark as a positive example. Clemens Fuest, President of the IFO Institute, also speaks for the deletion of a holiday to counteract the shortage of workers.
On the other hand, the position of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) is clear: This rejects the proposal and argues that public holidays are important for recreation and ultimately also for the productivity of the employees.
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| Ort | Deutschland |
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