40% of German Workers Doubt They Can Work Until Retirement, DGB Survey Shows
DGB survey of nearly 28,000 finds 40% of German workers doubt they can work until retirement, with highest concern in care, construction and plumbing sectors.
Germany’s main trade union confederation reported that roughly 40% of employees do not expect to be able to work until retirement, raising fresh concerns about the sustainability of the labor force. The DGB-Index Gute Arbeit, covering responses collected from 2022 to 2026, found just 53% of respondents believe they can perform their current jobs until the statutory pension age without limitations. The survey, reported by the Funke Mediengruppe, highlights acute doubts among workers in physically and mentally demanding roles.
DGB survey of nearly 28,000 employees from 2022–2026
The DGB-Index Gute Arbeit drew on responses from almost 28,000 employees surveyed across a four-year span. The sample was collected between 2022 and 2026 and is intended to map workplace conditions and expectations across sectors. The figures cited by the Funke Mediengruppe reflect the DGB’s aggregated findings rather than a single cross-sectional poll.
The questionnaire asked workers whether they expected to carry on in their current role until reaching the legal retirement age without any restrictions. Respondents’ answers were analyzed by occupation and industry, allowing the DGB to identify sectors with pronounced doubts about long-term employability.
Highest doubts concentrated in care, construction and plumbing
Doubts about being able to work until retirement were especially pronounced in a small number of occupations. More than 70% of workers in areas such as sanitary, heating and plumbing, as well as in nursing and eldercare, reported they did not expect to continue until pension age. High physical strain in construction trades and sustained emotional and physical demands in care professions contributed to the elevated figures.
Early childhood educators and several categories of building trades also showed markedly higher rates of pessimism compared with the national average. Those patterns point to workload, ergonomic strain and psychosocial stress as core drivers of the reluctance or inability to remain in current roles long-term.
Only 53% expect to perform current jobs without restrictions
Across the entire sample, slightly more than half of respondents—53%—said they expected to be able to carry out their present job until the statutory retirement age without limitations. By contrast, 40% responded that they do not anticipate being able to do so. The gap underscores a sizable cohort of workers who foresee health, fatigue or job-specific constraints forcing an earlier exit or a change of role.
The disparity is likely to have ripple effects for businesses and public finances, as early exits, partial work capacity and increased claims for disability or early retirement can shift costs and create staffing shortfalls. The DGB framed the findings as a warning that workplace conditions require more attention to keep people in employment.
Potential impact on staffing, training and workplace reforms
The survey results carry implications for employers, policymakers and social insurers seeking to stabilize labor supply and reduce premature exits from the workforce. Employers in high-risk sectors may need to accelerate investments in ergonomics, shift planning, and mental health support to maintain employee longevity. Targeted retraining and pathways to less strenuous roles could help workers extend their working lives without worsening health outcomes.
Policymakers may face pressure to consider legislative and fiscal measures that support workplace adaptation, subsidize ergonomic investments, and broaden access to lifelong learning. Social-insurance systems could also see increased strain if a substantial share of older workers cannot continue in their existing roles.
Trade-union interpretation and public reaction
The DGB characterized the findings as evidence that many jobs remain unsustainable over a working lifetime without substantial improvements. Union representatives cited the survey to call for stronger occupational safety standards, reduced physical strain in certain trades, and better staffing levels in care sectors. Employers’ associations and government spokespeople are likely to respond with proposals for both short-term relief measures and longer-term structural changes.
Public reaction may focus on sectors with visible staffing shortages, such as eldercare and construction, where workers’ ability to remain on the job has direct implications for service delivery and infrastructure projects. The survey provides a quantifiable basis for debates about how to keep an ageing workforce productive and healthy.
The DGB-Index Gute Arbeit’s findings add urgency to discussions about labour-market resilience in Germany, showing that large shares of the workforce doubt they can continue in their current roles until pension age and highlighting the need for concrete steps to adapt jobs, improve conditions, and offer credible pathways for older workers.
