A significant majority of German employees express willingness to extend their working hours, provided the financial incentives are compelling, according to a recent study by the Institute of German Economy (IW), a research body closely aligned with employers. The findings, reported by the “Rheinische Post” challenge the common perception that German workers prioritize shorter working weeks.
The IW’s survey, conducted among over 5,000 insured employees and exclusively mini-jobbers since 2023, revealed that 77% of respondents are open to working longer hours if the conditions are right. A key condition identified by 72% of those surveyed involves a reduction in the tax and social security burden associated with additional work. This applies equally to both part-time and full-time employees. Furthermore, full-time workers and part-time employees working more than 20 hours per week would require greater flexibility in their working hours.
The study indicates a particularly strong openness to extended hours among younger workers, with 86% of those under 30 expressing this willingness, compared to 69% of those aged 55 and older. Interestingly, the willingness to work longer hours appears largely independent of factors such as gender, sector of employment, type of work (office-based or otherwise) and professional qualifications. Individuals without a completed vocational training even showed a slightly higher inclination toward extending their working hours compared to those with a vocational qualification.
These findings contrast with a recent survey by the career network Xing, which found that 60% of 2,000 respondents did not want to work longer hours, with two-thirds expressing a desire to reduce their working time. However, the IW study suggests that this difference stems from varying conditions. Employees are indeed willing to work additional hours if the detrimental effects of increasing tax and social security contributions are mitigated and the additional work can be more effectively integrated into their daily lives.