The number of employees in the public sector in Germany surpassed the five million mark in 2021according to a study by the civil servants’ association DBB carried out on the basis of data from the Federal Statistical Office.
The head of DBB, Ulrich Silberbach, affirmed that the figure, 5.096 million, includes different areas of the public service; however, in many areas the performance limit has been reached, the DPA agency reported.
58% of public workers in Germany are women
In 2020 they were almost 4.97 million people working in federal, regional and municipal administrations from Germany; while in 2019 there were 4.88 million, and a year before, 4.80 million.
According to current figures, about 58% of people in the public sector are women; more than 37% are civil servants or public servants, while 63% correspond to employees with a collective agreement.
66% work full time, while 34% do it part time.
However, Silberbach estimated that there are still more than 360,000 employees left to adequately carry out the tasks of public servicesfor example, in emergencies or the health sector, for authorization processes in economic transformation or in other areas, since Germany lacks professionals in the public service.
At the beginning of 2023 the federal government, the municipal administrations and the unions will begin collective negotiations
Against this background, Silberbach called for a shift in personnel and financial policy to provide more staff to municipalities, the Land and the Federal Administration.
The conditions for public employees will return to the focus of discussion at the beginning of 2023, when the negotiations of collective agreements for municipalities and the federal government.
The Verdi and DBB unions are demanding 10.5% more income, or at least 500 euros (about US$532) more per month, and the talks will take place starting January 24 in Potsdam.
