According to the Federal Employment Agency,1.48 million people aged 60+ worked and paid social contributions in September 2012, 12.3% up from 2011. in the metal industry, the Gesamtmetall employers’ organization even said that this category has double between 2000 and 2011. several employers’ representatives rejoiced with these figures which show that “the German labor market is ready for retirement at 67.” They are calling on the trade unions and the social-democratic party (SPD) to stop ‘denying the truth’ when they want to lower statutory retirement age. Some experts are starting to call for retirement at 69 by 2060 but the IG-Metall immediately criticized incomplete statistics forgetting about the precarious/part-time status of older workers. (Ref. 130223)
Retirement at 69? The new debate around the increase in statutory retirement age and the upsurge in 60+ workers paying social contributions is definitely tainted with this idea – and influenced by the election soon. But it is also a deeper debate and its outcome could have a very concrete impact in the years to come, precisely when several renowned economists, backed by former social-democratic Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, are calling for the introduction of a new “2020 Agenda” modeled after the “2010 Agenda” presented in 2003.
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