Pensioners in Germany: There is a record number in the job - poverty or will?

Pensioners in Germany: There is a record number in the job - poverty or will?

Deutschland - The number of working pensioners in Germany has reached a new record. Last year, over 1.1 million people aged 67 and over were employed, as reported to FAZ.NET . This increased the number of working pensioners by 51,000 people compared to the previous year. This marks a remarkable increase, since the number of active pensioners has even quadrupled since 2004 - at that time only 288,000 pensioners were employed.

The total number of pensioners in Germany rose from 19.6 million in 2004 to 21.4 million in 2022. This development raises questions about the employment participation of older people. The CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann criticized that pensioners in Germany work too little, which was described by the BSW boss Sahra Wagenknecht as the "mockery" of the pensioners. Wagenknecht underlined that many pensioners are forced to work longer for financial reasons.

demographic change and employment participation

The employment participation of older people has increased noticeably in recent years. According to Destatis , the acquisition of the 60 to 64 year old rose to 65 % in 2023. Among the 69- to 69-year-olds, the proportion is 13 % to 20 % grown. In 2023, 69 % of men and 61 % of women aged 60 to 64 were employed.

Another interesting aspect is that the employment participation is different. The 65- to 69-year-olds were 24 % of men and 17 % of women in an employment relationship. One reason for this increase is the gradual increase in the statutory retirement age to 67 years since 2012. Higher educational qualifications also correlate with a longer employment participation; In 2023, highly qualified ones had a work rate of 75 %, while low qualified ones only achieved 53 %.

Financial requirements and social participation

The decision to continue working in old age can not only have financial reasons. Working in retirement age increases social participation and helps to counteract old age poverty. Around 40 % of employed people aged 65 and over lived mostly from their work income, which corresponds to around 643,000 people. In contrast, 57 % of this age group lived mainly from their pension or their assets. A striking trend is that 31 % of the people from the age of 65 are self-employed, which is in the age group of 60 to 64-year-olds and almost four times as high as an average of all employees.

These developments reflect the demographic change that is noticeable in Germany. The of the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, which shows, also offers a comprehensive analysis of the situation of older people and their employment participation. Develop life realities and challenges of older people in Germany.