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Germany: senior citizens, a key factor for growth

Faced with an aging population, Germany is mobilizing its seniors. The shortage of labor grows more and more companies to recruit employees in the age group of 50-65 years. According to recent statistics, 7.7 million of them are in jobs covered by social benefits. Seniors are 452,000 more to work than a year ago, while the number of retired decreases proportionally, according to the Federal Employment Agency.

Germany, most countries aging of Europe, has over 20 million pensioners. Newspapers and specialized sites have a section dedicated to seniors. It offers more courses "convert after 50 years" or "mini-jobs": babysitting, babysitting, secretarial services, pet sitting

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Applications for employment offered to retirees target various sectors. Thus, the industrial bakery K + U offers training in two years, to turn in senior commercial. This original idea has emerged out of necessity. "This is our response to the shortage of labor, says Corinna-Krefft Ebner, head of vocational training in K + U. We have more and more difficult to hire over. We would have 150 apprentices per year. We find 100 painfully. "

OECD calls on countries to respond

The problem is particularly acute in small family businesses that do not have, in addition, the attractiveness of German industrial groups to attract the most motivated graduates. In its report on Germany, published Tuesday, the OECD calls the country to respond "to strengthen growth potential, particularly given the rapidly aging population." The OECD estimates that this has already cost 0.2 percentage point growth in Germany in 2011 and that the figure will rise to 0.9 points in 2025.

Large family SMEs have taken the lead. Two-thirds of them, the 55-65 years represent more than 5% of payroll. For 15% of these companies, this age represents 20% of the workforce. "But it would have to work longer worth the time. Pension contributions should be totally eliminated for those over the age limit for retirement, "says Lutz Goebel, president of the federation of family businesses. Under a law passed in 2007, the retirement age will rise gradually to 67 years by 2031. Currently, the vast majority of assets not working up to 65 years required: this is 63 ½ years on average than the Germans drop out. It is possible to retire from age 63, after having contributed for 35 years at a discount price.

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