Family care at home could cost Germany 229,000 full-time jobs by 2045, study says
More and more German workers are cutting hours to care for relatives. A Bertelsmann Foundation and Prognos projection says about 229,000 jobs could be at risk by 2045, with women hit hardest.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Caring for relatives at home is putting growing pressure on Germany's labor market. About 229,000 full-time jobs could be lost by 2045 as employees cut their hours or quit to provide care, according to a projection by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Prognos research institute published Tuesday.
Of the roughly 6 million people in Germany who need long-term care, about three quarters are looked after at home by relatives. Some 4.6 million working-age people currently do so, or 8.7% of that age group. The study projects the share will rise to 13.3% by 2045.
Women are most affected, making up 63% of carers. By 2045, about 580,000 women could work less or stop working because of care duties, accounting for about 173,000 of the 229,000 full-time positions. The authors urged policymakers to act and called on employers to offer more flexible hours, remote work and help returning to work.