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Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The world of work is also increasingly affected.
Climate change is no longer an abstract question about the future, but is also affecting the German labor market. According to the latest TK Health Report 2025, 60% of employees are already noticing direct effects on their work performance and health.
The burden is unevenly distributed: in the construction and agriculture sectors, 77% of employees report climate-related limitations, compared to around half of office workers. The consequences are a decline in performance (43%), a higher risk of accidents (41%), and more heat-related sick leave.
The discrepancy in perception is also striking: while employees clearly feel the strain, only 40% of companies recognize the health effects, which is why countermeasures remain incomplete. Above all, employees want greater sustainability awareness, structural adjustments such as air conditioning, and more flexible working hours.
We were also interested in the following topics:
Slump in the labor market: An IAB job survey shows that the number of job vacancies fell to 1.06 million in the second quarter of 2025—21% less than in the previous year. The decline is particularly drastic in the east. At the same time, the number of unemployed people per job is rising significantly.
Prosperity at risk: Demographic change is widening the productivity gap. To keep per capita income stable until 2035, annual productivity growth of 1.8% would be necessary. In fact, the latest figure was only 0.3% per year – a historic low, as the German Economic Institute has announced.
Equality is stagnating: According to WirtschaftsWoche, only 28% of women believe that their generation will achieve equal pay. Many also report limited career opportunities and ongoing salary discrimination.
This text first appeared as an editorial in the weekly politjobs newsletter. If you would like to receive this newsletter with the latest jobs in politics directly by email every Wednesday, you can subscribe to it here.
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