Four in Ten German Workers Doubt They Can Work Until Retirement, DGB Index Shows
Nearly four in ten German workers doubt they can work until retirement, a DGB index finds; unions demand healthier transitions and urgent pension reform.
Germany’s largest labor survey has found that a sizeable share of employees do not believe they will be able to work until retirement, raising fresh concerns as policymakers debate pension reform. The DGB Index Gute Arbeit, based on responses collected from nearly 28,000 workers between 2022 and 2026, shows 40 percent of respondents expect they will not be able to perform their current job until the statutory retirement age. That gap is far larger in physically and mentally demanding professions, where doubts about the ability to work until retirement are concentrated.
Survey Scope and Main Numbers
The DGB Index questioned almost 28,000 employees over a four-year period, providing a broad cross-section of sectors and job types. Overall, 53 percent of respondents said they believe they can continue in their current roles without restrictions until the legal retirement age, while 40 percent answered they do not expect to be able to do so. The remaining respondents were undecided or did not give a definitive answer, highlighting significant uncertainty among the workforce.
Occupations with the Highest Doubt
Certain occupations reported dramatically higher levels of concern about sustaining work until retirement. Workers in sanitary, heating and plumbing trades reported the highest pessimism, with roughly 72 percent saying they cannot imagine performing their job until retirement. Close behind were nurses in acute care at 71 percent and eldercare workers at 67 percent, followed by building trades and high-rise construction at 66 percent and educators at 57 percent. These concentrations point to a clear link between job demands and doubts about long-term employability.
Working Conditions Behind the Doubts
The index links the widespread skepticism to concrete workplace conditions rather than abstract expectations. High physical strain, persistent time pressure, and heavy noise exposure were associated with significantly lower confidence in the ability to continue working until retirement. In addition, long hours, limited autonomy, and a lack of employer-led health promotion initiatives were cited as factors that worsen workers’ outlooks and increase the risk that employees will exit the workforce prematurely.
Union Reaction and Policy Demands
DGB chair Yasmin Fahimi described the findings as a “bitter verdict” on current labor conditions and urged political leaders to take the results into account when shaping pension policy. Fahimi said the government should stop repeatedly raising the retirement benchmark and instead introduce dignified transition pathways into retirement alongside investments in healthier working conditions. The union warned that forcing longer working lives without addressing workplace strain risks pushing generations into retirement damaged by ill health and potentially accepting reduced benefits.
Pension Debate and Reform Proposals
The survey arrives amid an intense public debate over the future of Germany’s statutory pension system. Leaders of the main parties — the Union and the SPD — have indicated they will move quickly to implement a bundle of measures proposed by a recent pension commission. Among the 33 suggestions are adjusting the retirement age to life-expectancy trends, ending mechanisms such as the so-called early retirement at 63, broadening the base of contributors to the system, and introducing a form of capital-based pension. Critics say these changes must be balanced with stronger protections for workers in physically demanding jobs.
Economic and Social Implications
If large cohorts of workers are unable to remain employed until the statutory retirement age, employers and policymakers will both face higher costs and planning challenges. Businesses may need to invest in ergonomic redesigns, flexible scheduling, and workplace health programs to retain aging employees, while the public sector could see increased demand for early retirement schemes and disability benefits. The findings also carry implications for labor supply forecasts, particularly in sectors already facing staffing shortages such as care and construction.
The DGB Index results make clear that any effort to reform retirement rules will have to reckon with the realities of job strain across sectors and the unequal capacity of workers to extend their working lives. Policymakers, employers and unions will need to consider targeted interventions for high-risk occupations, including gradual retirement pathways, retraining options and investments in occupational health, if the goal is to enable more people to work until retirement without harm.
