According to the DGB “Good Work” index, cited by the Funke media group, 40 percent of employees doubt they can hold out until retirement. 53 percent, however, expect to be able to continue their current job without restrictions until retirement. The survey is based on interviews with around 28,000 employees conducted between 2022 and 2026.
Skepticism is particularly high in physically demanding occupations: 72 percent of workers in sanitation, heating, and plumbing do not expect to last until the official retirement age. In nursing care, the figure is 71 percent; in elderly care, 67 percent; in structural engineering, 66 percent; and among educators, 57 percent. The study cites high physical strain, constant time pressure, strong noise exposure, long working hours, and a lack of workplace health promotion as causes.
DGB chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi called the result a “bitter finding” and urged the government not to ignore realities when making pension decisions. “Instead of constantly raising the bar for the retirement age, we need dignified transitions into retirement and healthier working conditions,” Fahimi told the Funke media.
Source: Tagesschau
