Vogel, Sandra
Low rate of entrepreneurship reported
30 August 2009
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM [1]) surveys and compares national
entrepreneurial activity. In 2008, 43 countries participated in the GEM. In
Germany, some 4,751 persons were interviewed on their entrepreneurial
activities, aspirations and attitudes. In addition, 62 expert interviews were
conducted to evaluate the general conditions for setting up a business in
Germany. The following research results were presented in the GEM Germany
2008 report (in German) [2], published in June 2009, and in a short analysis
(in German, 1.7Mb PDF) [3] for the Institute for Employment Research
(Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, IAB [4]).
[1] http://www.gemconsortium.org/
[2] http://www.gemconsortium.org/document.aspx?id=921
[3] http://doku.iab.de/kurzber/2009/kb1509.pdf
[4] http://www.iab.de/de
New agreement on job security at Schaeffler Group
27 July 2009
The family-owned Schaeffler Group [1] is an industrial conglomerate and one
of the world’s leading car component manufacturers, which is based in
Germany. The company’s bid for the much larger automotive industry
supplier, Continental, was leveraged and Schaeffler is currently hard-pressed
to service its debt due to the tense situation on the financial markets.
[1] http://www.schaeffler.de/content.schaeffler.de/en/index.jsp?
Back-to-work mothers call for better work–life balance
09 July 2009
The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
(Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, BMFSFJ [1])
commissioned a study to evaluate the current situation of mothers re-entering
the labour market. The study, Returning to work after starting a family (in
German, 146Kb PDF) [2], combined different research strategies. First,
qualitative data was derived from 40 single interviews and 20 group sessions
with eight to 10 participants lasting for three hours. Secondly, a survey
comprising 3,000 interviews provided quantitative data. Subsequently, these
findings were compared and matched with another survey entitled Typology of
desires 2007–2008 (in German) [3].
[1] http://www.bmfsfj.de
[2] http://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/generator/RedaktionBMFSFJ/Abteilung4/Newsletter/Im__Blick/Sonderausgabe-02/Medien/aktuelles-meldung-1-pdf-handout,property=pdf,bereich=,sprache=de,rwb=true.pdf
[3] http://www.tdwi.com/ueberdietdw.html
Vocational training pays off
28 June 2009
On 2 April 2009, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training
(Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, BIBB [1]) released a new study (in
German, 283Kb PDF) [2] on the costs and benefits of the German vocational
training [3] system. From April to August 2008, 2,986 establishments with
10,751 apprentices participated in a survey on vocational training. The
survey covered the 51 most important occupations requiring vocational
training from all fields of economic activity, including industry and
commerce, the trades, public services and agriculture. The following study
results highlight the fact that training young people initially generates
additional costs. In the long run, however, vocational training generally
pays off for both companies and establishments.
[1] http://www.bibb.de/
[2] http://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/a12_bibbreport_2009_08.pdf
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/vocational-training
New allowances for short-time work in bid to offset economic crisis
14 June 2009
Since the autumn of 2008, many companies and workers have been adversely
affected by the global economic crisis. Following its first rescue package
issued in the autumn of 2008, on 27 January 2009 the federal government
adopted a second rescue package (in German) [1] that stipulates further
investments worth about €50 billion. While the first package was meant to
support the German banking system, the second package seeks to achieve
broader goals:
[1] http://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/DE/Artikel/2009/01/2009-01-27-zweites-konjunkturpaket.html
New collective agreement in metalworking sector
14 June 2009
On 15 April 2009, the German Metalworkers’ Union (Industriegewerkschaft
Metall, IG Metall [1]) and the Baden-Württemberg Employer Association for
the Metal and Electrical Industry (Verband der Metall- und Elektorindustrie
Baden-Württemberg, Südwestmetall [2]) concluded a new collective agreement
(in German) [3] on short-time work in the bargaining region of
Baden-Württemberg. The new agreement aims to deal with the effects of the
deteriorating economic situation on companies with low order books. It will
automatically expire on 31 December 2010.
[1] http://www.bw.igm.de
[2] http://www.suedwestmetall.de/swm/webswm.nsf/ID/DE_Home
[3] http://www.bw.igm.de/tarife/tarifvertrag.html?id=31263
Minimum wages in postal services sector suspended
03 February 2009
After lengthy debates in 2007, minimum wages were introduced in the postal
services sector with effect from 1 January 2008 (*DE0711019I* [1]). The
minimum wage in the postal sector was endorsed by the inclusion of mail
delivery services in the Posted Workers Act (/Arbeitnehmer-Entsendegesetz/,
AEntG [2]). However, a new study by the Association of German Chambers of
Industry and Commerce (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelkammertag, DIHK [3])
shows that some companies in other sectors of the economy intend to reduce
their staff if minimum wages are also introduced in their sector.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/unions-push-for-minimum-wage-in-the-postal-sector
[2] http://bundesrecht.juris.de/aentg/index.html
[3] http://www.dihk.de
Social partners endorse training schemes for disadvantaged young people
13 January 2009
In recent years, the situation of school-leavers in Germany has changed
considerably. Many young people now encounter difficulties in securing an
apprenticeship – in other words, a vocational training position – or
entering the labour market. This trend is reflected in the rising number of
so-called ‘old applicants’ (/Altbewerber/) registered at local employment
agencies. Old applicants are defined as young people who failed to obtain an
apprenticeship contract in the last round of applications. In 2006, for the
first time, the share of old applicants among all applicants exceeded 50%. In
August 2008, this percentage reached 52%.
Education summit calls for more training for young migrants
07 December 2008
On 22 October 2008, representatives of the federal and state governments met
in Dresden, in the eastern federal state of Saxony, to discuss future
education policy in Germany. The ‘Education summit’ was opened by the
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, who called for more investment in
education. Essential goals were set out in a joint declaration (in German,
190Kb PDF) [1]. It was agreed that spending on education was to be raised to
10% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2015. Furthermore, Chancellor Merkel
stressed that the drop-out rates for school pupils and vocational trainees
must be halved by 2015 – from 8% to 4% for school pupils and from 17% to
8.5% for vocational trainees. The needs of migrants, in particular, were
addressed by the joint declaration at the education summit. However, any
future measures must consider the significant differences that still exist
between the integration of migrants and Germans into the labour market. These
differences were analysed in a recent study by the Institute for Employment
Research (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, IAB [2]).
[1] http://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/DE/__Anlagen/2008/10/2008-10-22-bildungsgipfel,property=publicationFile.pdf
[2] http://www.iab.de/de
Agreement on partial retirement in metal and electrical industry
01 December 2008
On 3 September 2008, the employer association for the metal and electrical
industry in Baden-Württemberg (Verband der Metall- und Elektorindustrie
Baden-Württemberg, Südwestmetall [1]) and the German Metalworkers’ Union
(Industriegewerkschaft Metall, IG Metall [2]) agreed on a new collective
agreement on partial retirement. The agreement covers about 800,000 employees
in the /Land/ (region) of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany. It will
come into effect on 1 January 2010 and cannot be cancelled for the first time
before 31 January 2016.
[1] http://www.suedwestmetall.de/swm/webswm.nsf/id/DE_Home
[2] http://www.igmetall.de/cps/rde/xchg/internet