Social Report 2024

The new Social Report 2024, published by the Federal Agency for Civic Education in cooperation with the Federal Statistical Office, the Berlin Social Science Center, and the Federal Institute for Population Research, provides a comprehensive overview of current social developments in Germany. It compiles statistical data and social science analyses in a total of twelve chapters on topics such as demography, the labor market, social structure, and political participation. In the chapter on the labor market, the report focuses primarily on aspects such as earnings and income, care work, location-flexible working, and the situation of working parents. Well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic is also examined, particularly with regard to the consequences for families. The report also looks at general labor market indicators such as employment stability, unemployment rates, and gender-based differences, and shows how these factors have developed over time. In the area of earnings and income, the report shows that, in a nationwide comparison, the gross hourly earnings in Hamburg (€27.29) and Hesse (€26.87) are the highest on average. Saxony-Anhalt, on the other hand, ranks last with an average of €20.46 per hour. The report also analyzes the gender pay gap in Germany, which still stands at 6% in adjusted terms and 18% in unadjusted terms – a slight decline compared to previous years. Further findings from the report and its extremely comprehensive research are also available separately online, such as the chapters on location-flexible work, the well-being of parents during the Covid pandemic, and the “rush hour of life.”

We were also interested in the following topics:

• Demographic change: Germany is not prepared for the demographic changes caused by an aging society. Economic advisors to the government are warning of this, reports Business Insider, which also discusses what needs to change now.

• Job applications: Legal errors can be fatal when looking for a job. A labor lawyer explains the five most common mistakes and how to avoid them in Handelsblatt (€).

• Education: How should post-school education be structured to ensure greater permeability and flexibility? The Bertelsmann Foundation answers this question in a recently published position paper.

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