Economists have criticised CSU leader Markus Söder’s proposal to add an extra hour of work each week. DIW president Marcel Fratzscher told the “Rheinische Post” that the call for workers to put in more effort and longer hours is a form of populism that shifts responsibility for the mistakes of politics and business onto employees.
Fratzscher added that, although additional working hours would undoubtedly help the German economy-particularly by easing the labour‑shortage crisis- the debate about working time is both too narrow and misleading. It gives the impression that Germany’s economic problems can be solved solely by having employees work harder.
He urged that, instead of deflecting responsibility, the government should implement the necessary reforms and that companies must correct their own errors. What is needed, he said, is “more investment and innovation from firms”.