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Older, happy, and active: in Germany, over a million retirees are still in employment. They drive, they cook, they clean, and, most importantly, they take care of the German work system: between 2013 and 2022, the employment rate of 55-64-year-old workers increased by 9%. 11 points above the European average. 16% more than France!
Moreover, if some would think that the older you get, the less you work, prepare to be surprised. Focusing on the 60-64 year-old category, the active proportion of workers grew from 42 % in 2012 to 63 % over the last year. Less surprising when we know that pension rates are based on 45 active years total, whereas it depends on only 25 in France or the UK.
In 2023, the average German retirement revenue amounted to 1543 euros per month, but German senior workers saw an opportunity to get more. For example: let’s say you are anxious about retirement. You have a fulfilled life, a good career, colleagues you appreciate and a bit of time ahead of you: you would love to facilitate this complex transition between being active and playing too much golf. That’s what Germans do.
The German government tends to multiply "mini-job" offers on the work market. Gardening, driving, helping people in need in their daily activities: all it takes is to work for an average of 43 hours per month, and you’ll be paid a maximum of 520 euros. It is not rare for this kind of job offer to be underlined with an "urgent " caption online, and German seniors jump on this opportunity to add a solid supplement to their retirement.
In the worst case, let’s not forget that this extra revenue stops 40 % of older people falling into poverty. As we live longer and longer, and in better health than before, senior employment becomes a fundamental stake in European work politics.
It’s as simple as that for European countries: the more you hold back the age of retirement, the more chances you get to raise production levels and balance retirement systems.
Considering the upcoming challenge of an entire generation of baby boomers being retired in the next ten years, representing a volume of 1.8 million vacant jobs, German employers need to be creative. They have to convince their senior employees to stay active, offering in most cases bonuses, and a more convenient schedule adapted to their preferred rhythm. Whereas in France, companies have a solid tendency to consider the over 50s as unsuitable for the digital transition, or simply too expensive to retrain or replace.
In Germany, allowing seniors to be part of the equation means that the government can maintain their comfortable pension allowance. They work more, they get paid more, and ultimately they get more chances to enjoy a peaceful retirement when the time comes. In 2029, you’ll have to be 67 years old to benefit from a full pension rate in Germany. Let’s then assume that golf can wait a little bit longer.
