Study: Large majority of employees worried about social reforms

Lukas Endres, one of the authors of the study, explained that employees expect noticeable deteriorations in their own social protection. The planned interventions in pensions, health and long-term care insurance, as well as in sickness benefits, affect virtually all employees directly, Endres said, according to AFP.

Jan Behringer, also a co-author of the study, pointed out that many employees were already experiencing rising contributions and shrinking benefits. A further tightening would further undermine trust in social insurance, Behringer said.

Economic classification

Sebastian Dullien placed the results in an economic policy context. If people get the feeling that the welfare state will no longer reliably protect them in old age or in the event of illness, this could noticeably weaken the willingness to act in solidarity and to pay higher contributions, Dullien warned.

The study comes at a time when the federal government is deliberating on several social reforms. In addition to the aforementioned projects, debates about the financing of long-term care insurance and about the future of statutory pensions are also on the political agenda.

There has so far been no public response to the study from within the SPD ranks. The Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht had previously criticized social reforms and spoken out against raising the retirement age.

Political reactions

The Hans-Böckler Foundation is a non-profit organization that deals, among other things, with issues of co-determination, the world of work, and social security. The IMK is attached to the foundation as a research institute and specializes in macroeconomic analyses.

The results are likely to further intensify the debate over the design of the planned reforms. Trade unions and social associations had already previously warned against a weakening of social security.

With the publication of the study, pressure is growing on political decision-makers to reconsider the reform plans or at least to cushion them more strongly. Otherwise, the authors warn, there is a risk of a lasting loss of trust in the welfare state.