German Working Life Consumer Report 2024
$ 2,995 (Excl.Tax)
Report Summary
32% of German workers are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months. This percentage has even increased compared to 2022 (27%), as many reassess their job satisfaction and seek a better work/life balance or higher wages.
Even though real wages continue to rise, the high cost of living still affects Germans’ finances. This promotes inflation-induced career changes, as 51% of German workers who say high inflation rates have led them to switch to a better-paid job in the last two years are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months (vs 22% of those who don’t).
Flexibility has become a standard expectation, with 78% of German workers thinking companies should provide greater possibilities to work flexibly. Since German workers who (partially) work from home and are likely to look for a new job are more likely to feel pressure from their employer to work from out of home locations or to work there more often (70% vs 25% who are unlikely to look for a new job), companies that provide greater workplace flexibility have a good chance of higher retention rates.
Brands can support hybrid workers in their healthy habits when working from home, and collaborate with German employers to establish incentives to work in the office. For example, those operating in the health and wellbeing sector can tap into the mental wellbeing space and help create wellness areas within the office.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Satisfaction across different job aspects (eg working location(s), work/life balance), and the key drivers of overall job satisfaction
- How likely workers are to look for a new job in the next 12 months
- What hybrid workers do more on the days they work at home compared to the days working at out of home locations (eg office, shop)
- What is most important for German workers in a job
- Working life behaviours and expectations, including the demand for greater possibilities to work flexibly and the impact of current crises on work productivity and the appreciation of job security
As flexibility has become a key requirement for German workers, brands can promote healthy habits (eg healthy eating) when working from home and collaborate with employers to create incentives for in-office work (eg wellness spaces).
Dr. Jennifer Hendricks, Senior Analyst – Consumer Lifestyles, Germany
Table of Contents
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Market context
- The labour market situation is tense
- Real wages are on the rise, yet inflation continues to impact Germans
- Graph 1: development of real and nominal earnings and consumer prices, 2020-23
- Employers continue to explore long-term work arrangements amidst the ongoing New Work evolution
- Opportunities
- Make flexibility at work a priority
- Establish incentives for working in the office
- Get prepared to retain AI-savvy talent
- Graph 2: likeliness of looking for a new job in the next 12 months (NET), by gen AI usage, 2024
- Home and garden: cater to hybrid workers' need to spend time outdoors
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 remains challenging
- Graph 3: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- The inflation rate is bouncing back to more conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers' finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 4: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- The impact of the economy on working life
- Real wages continue to rise…
- Graph 5: development of real and nominal earnings and consumer prices, 2020-23
- …but Germans do not yet feel the relief
- Home-based workers report stronger finances
- Graph 6: financial situation, by employment location, 2024
- Labour market
- Unemployment rates remain affected by weak economy
- Graph 7: unemployment rate, original value, 2021-24
- The German labour market faces significant labour shortages
- Graph 8: job vacancies, by economic sector, Q1 2024
- Germans have mixed attitudes about the impact of AI on the job market
- Graph 9: expected impact of AI on the job market, by employment location, 2023
- Working lifestyles
- New Work reshapes the German working life
- Working locations remain stable in a post-pandemic world…
- …while employers are still sounding out long-term working arrangements
- Germans' job-related tasks are varied
- Graph 10: aspects that consumers' work involves, 2024
- Polycrisis
- Germans are navigating through a time of polycrisis
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Job satisfaction
- Most Germans are satisfied with their jobs…
- …but satisfaction with different job aspects varies
- Graph 11: satisfaction with different job aspects (NET), 2024
- Meaningfulness of work has the biggest influence on job satisfaction…
- …but job satisfaction is driven by multiple factors
- Home-based workers are the most satisfied with their working location
- Sustain the positivity of the younger workforce
- Graph 12: workers who are very satisfied with selected aspects of their job, by age, 2024
- Examples for promising development programs to retain young talent
- Employee benefits need to address diverse needs
- Graph 13: satisfaction with employee benefits (NET), by any children, 2024
- Rheinland-Pfalz promotes bleisure travel
- Career change expectations in the next 12 months
- The trend of changing careers has seen a slight increase
- Graph 14: likeliness of looking for a new job in the next 12 months, 2024 vs 2022
- Retention of the younger workforce remains a challenge
- Graph 15: likeliness of looking for a new job in the next 12 months (NET), by age, 2024
- Job seekers are not necessarily dissatisfied with their current positions…
- Graph 16: workers who are satisfied with different job aspects (NET), by likeliness of looking for a new job in the next 12 months, 2024
- …making it even more difficult to retain them
- Be aware of inflation-induced career changes
- Watch our for AI-savvy talent looking to seize a new opportunity
- Graph 17: likeliness of looking for a new job in the next 12 months (NET), by gen AI usage, 2024
- Benefits of working from home
- Working from home boosts healthy lifestyles
- Graph 18: activities that hybrid workers do more on the days they work at home compared to the days they work at out of home locations, 2024
- Nearly half of hybrid workers do multiple activities more when working from home
- Support hybrid workers in their healthy eating habits when working from home
- Home and garden: capitalise on hybrid workers' need for spending time outside
- Tackle the gender household care gap
- MAGGI positions its products as emergency helpers amidst work-from-home chaos
- The meaning of work
- Appreciation and a healthy work/life balance lead the list of the most important aspects in a job…
- Graph 19: aspects that are most important in a job, 2024
- …but salary is a pivotal factor as well
- Show older employees the appreciation they deserve
- Graph 20: workers for whom feeling appreciated for their work is most important in a job, by age, 2024
- Take the work/life balance to the next level
- Do not underestimate the value of fun in the workplace
- 7th Space: VR adventure world meets lounge
- Working life behaviours and expectations
- German workers demand flexibility for the sake of wellbeing
- Graph 21: working life behaviours and expectations, 2024
- Empower employees with a menu of flexible work arrangements
- Build a culture that supports employee health and wellbeing
- Learn from Verkada and count on incentives for in-person collaboration
- Tackle productivity losses among younger workers
- Health and wellbeing brands: assist German employers in creating wellness spaces
- Wello Works seamlessly combines productivity and relaxation
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LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- Recruitment activities
- REWE claims flexibility and a good work/life balance
- "Launch Your Future": Deka's virtual Career Day in the Metaverse
- EDEKA presents its superheroes
- OTTO's marketing campaign: "Bekommst du, was du willst?"
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Key driver analysis
- Key driver analysis – data
- A note on language
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