The job market in 2025: changing jobs, motivation, working from home, and AI

Starting the new year with a new job? That's something many employees can imagine: according to a new study by the auditing and consulting organization EY, around 40% of employees in Germany are currently planning to change jobs. This puts Germany at the top of the international rankings – only India (50%) and France (43%) have more people willing to change jobs. The reasons for changing jobs are varied, ranging from home office opportunities to dissatisfaction with career opportunities and salary to the quality of management. In addition, the study notes a significant “motivation gap” among German employees: only 48% of those surveyed say they are currently doing their best at work – well below the international average of 54%. However, motivation is even lower in France (37%), the Netherlands (36%), and Japan (19%). The international leaders, on the other hand, are India (67%), China (59%), and the US (57%). The study also highlights the controversial topic of working from home: Overall, around 57% of respondents in Germany work completely or at least mostly remotely, while only 15% work exclusively on-site in the office. However, the respondents primarily emphasize the advantages of working in the office: Above all, 74% see social interaction with colleagues as a major plus point, and 72% also state that teamwork is better in the office. Accordingly, the biggest disadvantages of working from home are that social contact with colleagues is more difficult (59%), teamwork is more difficult (57%), and it is difficult to draw the line between work and private life (58%). Another focus of the study is AI. The majority of respondents view this positively: 55% expect the technology to increase productivity, improve teamwork (50%), and open up new career opportunities (49%). At the same time, there is still much to be done: so far, only a quarter of respondents have already integrated AI into their daily work, and 83% see a great need for change in their companies before AI can be used efficiently. We were also interested in the following topics:

• Productivity at work: Older bosses reduce the productivity of Generation Z and millennials—according to the younger generations themselves. This is mainly because their way of working is not understood. This is the conclusion of a study by the London School of Economics and Political Science.

• German PR Award: Applications are now being accepted for the junior category of the PR Award. The aim is to develop a brand communication concept, either alone or in a team, as a student or young professional.

• Eurozone labor market: A recent ECB study warns of weaker employment growth in the eurozone. According to ntv, companies have revised their growth expectations for the coming months downwards.

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.

Spread the word: Do you have friends or acquaintances who are also interested in political jobs? Feel free to forward the registration form for our newsletter.