Four in Ten German Workers Doubt They Can Work Until Retirement, DGB Survey Finds
DGB survey of nearly 28,000 German workers finds 40% doubt they can work until retirement; concerns highest in nursing, care, construction and trade sectors.
Germany’s main trade-union research index shows a substantial share of employees believe they will be unable to work until the statutory retirement age. The DGB‑Index Gute Arbeit, based on interviews conducted between 2022 and 2026 with almost 28,000 workers, reports that roughly 40 percent of respondents expect they cannot continue in their current job until retirement. The findings highlight acute anxiety in physically and mentally demanding occupations and feed into an ongoing national debate over pension reform.
Survey finds 40% doubt they can work until retirement
The DGB analysis shows only 53 percent of respondents are confident they can perform their current job without limitations until the legal retirement age, while 40 percent do not expect to manage that. The survey sample spans multiple industries and regions and was collected over a four-year period from 2022 to 2026 to capture evolving workplace conditions. The gap between those who feel able to continue and those who do not has become a focal point in discussions about the sustainability and fairness of pension policy.
Researchers and union officials say the numbers reflect not only individual health concerns but structural problems in work organisation that make long careers untenable for many. The DGB study aggregates self-reported expectations, which union leaders interpret as a warning signal for both social policy and employer practices.
Highest doubts concentrated in nursing, care and construction
Doubts are especially pronounced in trades and care professions where physical strain is common. The survey reports that 72 percent of workers in sanitary, heating and plumbing trades expect they will not be able to continue until retirement, while 71 percent of hospital nurses and 67 percent of workers in elderly care share that assessment.
Other heavily affected groups include workers in high-rise construction trades, where 66 percent express pessimism, and educators, where 57 percent say they doubt their ability to work to retirement. These sectoral concentrations point to specific hotspots for intervention, according to labour analysts.
Physical strain, time pressure and poor conditions drive pessimism
Respondents identified several workplace factors that shape their expectations: heavy physical demands, persistent time pressure and excessive noise top the list. Long hours, limited autonomy over tasks and a lack of employer-supported health promotion measures further erode confidence in the ability to sustain long careers.
Union researchers emphasize that many of these drivers are modifiable through better work design, targeted health programs and investments in machinery or staffing that reduce the physical burden on individual employees. They argue that addressing these root causes would make proposals to extend working lives more realistic and equitable.
DGB leader urges ‘dignified transitions’ and better conditions
DGB chair Yasmin Fahimi described the survey results as a “bitter finding” and said policymakers must factor these realities into retirement decision‑making. She urged governments to stop raising the retirement threshold as a default solution and instead implement “dignified transitions” that allow workers in strenuous jobs to leave the labour force without disproportionate penalties.
Fahimi warned against policies that would force whole generations to “drag themselves into retirement” while accepting benefit reductions. The union chief called for a combination of healthier working conditions, earlier and fairer exit options, and targeted measures to prevent long-term illness among older employees.
Political debate intensifies over pension reform package
The survey arrives amid a heated policy debate on pension reform in Germany. Leaders of major parties have recently pledged to move quickly on a package proposed by a government commission that compiled 33 reform measures addressing the future of statutory pensions.
Key ideas in the commission’s set include adjusting the statutory retirement age to changes in life expectancy, eliminating the early‑retirement arrangement known as “pension at 63,” broadening the contributor base to the pension system and introducing forms of capital‑funded pensions. The DGB survey injects new evidence into those deliberations, underscoring that changes to retirement age should be paired with workplace reforms.
Economic and policy implications for employers and government
Labour economists warn that if large groups leave the workforce early because they cannot continue in their jobs, Germany could face intensified skills shortages and higher fiscal costs for disability and early‑retirement schemes. They recommend a mix of preventive and adaptive measures: investments in occupational health, ergonomic equipment, flexible scheduling and retraining programs to shift workers into less physically demanding roles.
Policymakers are also being urged to design sector‑specific solutions, such as extra employer support for care and construction firms to hire assistive technology or additional staff. Complementary policies might include phased retirement options and stronger incentives for workplace health promotion.
The DGB‑Index findings represent a clear signal to both employers and government that extending working lives on paper will not succeed without parallel efforts to improve working conditions and create viable pathways out of physically and mentally taxing jobs.
