The increasing number of people taking care of their relatives may have significant negative impacts on the labor market in Germany in the coming years, according to forecasts from a recent study.
A study prepared by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Prognos Institute for Economic Consulting and Research indicates that about 229,000 jobs may be threatened by this by 2045.
The Foundation warned that the continuation of the current conditions for family caregivers, coinciding with the continuing progress in the aging of society and the rise in the numbers of those in need of care, will lead to an increasing depletion of the human capabilities available in the labor market.
The Foundation explained that this will limit the professional development of the people concerned, and may also negatively affect economic growth prospects.
Of the approximately six million people who currently need care in Germany, three-quarters of them receive care at home from their family members, according to the data. About 6.4 million people currently provide this care, equivalent to 7.8% of the total working-age population.
The number is expected to rise significantly over the next twenty years, as estimates indicate that 3.13% of the working-age population will care for their relatives by 2045, and the largest percentage among them will be women.
Many people reduce their working hours or stop working completely in order to care for their relatives. Women currently constitute about two-thirds of caregivers, with their percentage reaching 63%, according to the latest available data for the year 2023.
Michaela Hermann, an expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation, explained that the share of women in the expected losses in the labor force is likely to rise, because they often bear care burdens that require a long time, not less than ten hours a week.
According to estimated calculations for the year 2045, it is expected that about 580,000 women will decrease their work due to the responsibilities of caring for relatives, either by reducing working hours or stopping it completely. This loss is equivalent to about 173,000 full-time jobs, out of a total of 229,000 jobs expected to be lost, according to the study.
Herman stated that increasing care needs should not lead to a decline in progress made in achieving gender equality.
On the other hand, the German Social Solidarity Federation expressed its concern about these expectations, calling for a radical and rapid reform that ensures the provision of care services commensurate with actual needs, reduces the burdens on those in need of care, and provides reliable support for their family members caring for them.
He also stressed the need to provide sustainable financing and achieve a fair balance between the private care and legal insurance systems.
Also, the Patient Protection Foundation confirmed that caring for millions of people in their homes would not be possible without the contribution of their family members.
In this context, Eugen Breisch, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, said that families reduce the burden on the German care system by a value of 206 billion euros annually, with expectations that this amount will rise.
The same spokesman added that family members provide care services on a daily basis that require time, money and sacrifices. He also described the pensions and retirement benefits allocated to caring relatives as “ridiculously meager”.
