More and more elderly people in Germany are forced to work part-time in addition to their pension.
It is clear that pensioners do not take on extra work out of a good life. According to data from the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs from July of last year, 959,525 men and 2,124,247 women in Germany received a pension of up to 300 euros. Another 975,134 women and 264,143 men had a pension not exceeding 400 euros.
Meanwhile, as reported by "Russkaya Germaniya", simultaneously with the increase in the number of working pensioners, the number of those who can boast a pension of more than two thousand euros net is also growing sharply. At least, this is indicated by statistics also prepared by officials of the German Ministry of Social Policy.
In July of last year, the state paid 204,915 pensions of over two thousand euros. In July 2015, this figure was only 108,056 pensions. Thus, the number of "rich pensioners" in Germany almost doubled in a year! A similar situation is observed with pensions over 1,500 euros: an increase of 24% – from 1.67 million to 2.08 million.
The main reason for this gratifying situation for pensioners is another increase in state pensions that occurred last July. In eastern Germany, pension payments rose by 5.95%, in the western federal states – by 4.25%. Thus, today's average pension in Germany increased in the west by 40 euros to 1,079 euros for men and to 602 (plus 27 euros) for women. In the east, these figures were 1,181 euros (plus 51) for men and 895 euros for women.
Meanwhile, according to a survey by the GfK Institute for Public Opinion Research conducted in December 2016, the absolute majority of German residents do not intend to work until reaching the official retirement age. Less than five percent of respondents are willing to work until 67. At the same time, 83% of respondents do not plan to work even after 65.
Recall that according to a decision of the Bundestag in 2007, the retirement age for people born after 1965 is now 67.