Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

JOBS

Germans say ‘nein danke’ to retiring at 67

The vast majority of Germans oppose plans to raise the retirement age to 67. But some who are warning of shortages in the skilled crafts sector, have suggested working until 70, it emerged over the weekend.

Published: 5 August 2013 08:50 CEST

Germans say 'nein danke' to retiring at 67

Photo: DPA

At present, the average German retires at the age of 61. Though that represents a 20-year high, plans to raise the retirement age to 67 by 2030 are likely to prove a challenge.

According to a survey of 1,000 people carried out by market research group GfK in association with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, 87 percent of Germans would prefer to retire before they hit 65.

If money weren’t an issue, 53 percent would prefer to retire before the age of 60. However, just 10 percent said they would choose to retire before the age of 49.

“Among Germans, enjoying work is quite pronounced,” Klaus Hilbinger, who headed the study. told the Rheinische Post.

However, the issue is for how long Germans continue to enjoy working. Just 7 percent said they were willing to work until the age of 67.

Some are warning that shortages in certain branches require even more drastic measures. Otto Kentzler, president of Germany’s Central Association of Small Crafts (ZDH), is advocating increasing the retirement age to 70 to deal with skills shortages.

“Many older people are fit for work,” he told news magazine Focus.

“Even if they only work half days, their experience can help us,” he said.

Some businesses are reportedly already turning down orders because of a shortage of skilled staff.

The Local/kkf

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

Url copied to clipboard!