Reform ideas for an effective state

Last week, the Initiative for an Effective State led by Thomas de Maizière and Peer Steinbrück presented its final report. The initiative aims to strengthen the efficiency and citizen-friendliness of the administration through comprehensive reforms in order to make state structures fit for the future. This also includes reforms in the labor market.

A central component of the reform proposals is the simplification of skilled worker immigration through a digital one-stop eGovernment. The current “far too confusing and complicated” regulations for labor market access are to be replaced by a central digital contact point that coordinates all administrative bodies. At the same time, the initiative calls for a fundamental reform of federal administration personnel with flexible entry paths for career changers. Particularly in view of demographic change and the wave of retirements among the baby boomer generation, the authors point out that one in three vacant positions could be filled by career changers.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• Database on internship salaries: Journalist Oskar Vitlif contacted more than 400 companies in the media industry. The result: over 40% do not pay their interns. For paid internships, the median salary is €500. The database highlights how unpaid internships undermine equal opportunities in journalism and editorial offices, and makes it possible to check in advance which companies offer remuneration.

• Employee communication: According to a recent study by Staffbase and YouGov, the quality of internal communication directly influences employee productivity and motivation. Measurable effects can be seen, for example, in job satisfaction: 85% of employees with very clear management communication are satisfied with their work, compared to only 24% with very unclear communication.

• Salary data for 2024: New salary data from the Federal Employment Agency shows that German full-time employees earned a median of €217 more in 2024 than in the previous year. With a wage increase of 5.7%, salaries rose significantly faster than inflation (2.2%) for the first time. Significant differences remain between genders and between western and eastern Germany.

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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