Germany still has a well-developed social system. People still fall much more softly here than in other countries. If you lose your job or become incapacitated, you can count on appropriate protection. You don’t have to starve in Germany. And the unemployed are by no means denied vital medication. In other countries, the situation is quite different. Germany is admired worldwide for its functioning social system.
It ensures that people do not have to worry about their existence. This also pays off economically. People who are paralysed by fear cannot be productive. Those who are protected in the case of an extreme emergency can concentrate on their work without being overly haunted by worries. Retraining is also supported in Germany. So if a company is closed down, people can train for other industries and pursue new career paths. Comprehensive counselling supports such retraining and paths to new shores. The social system has already helped many people out of a difficult situation and given them new perspectives in life.
This basic security is something to be proud of. Germans can consider themselves lucky to have this security. But legal regulations such as the mandatory minimum wage also ensure that certain standards are met. In many other countries, there is no such social safety net, nor is there a statutory minimum wage, and holiday arrangements are also worse. Another important aspect is targeted family support. In Germany, this is supported both by taxation and by opportunities for parental leave. This gives parents the opportunity to fully accompany their child during the important early years as well as financial support and the security of keeping their own job. Many people in other countries can only dream of such arrangements. Germany specifically promotes them.
The country wants its own population to bring children into the world and take good care of them. With the right regulations, these needs are optimally supported. In any case, the German social system provides good support. Women are also sometimes given targeted support if they want to return to work after parental leave. Employers have long since realised that they cannot do without the special qualifications of experienced professionals and should also contribute to the country’s social system themselves. The change in gender roles, combined with important changes in parental leave, has also led to more and more fathers taking parental leave. Some couples also share parental leave. In this way, the burden is distributed on different shoulders and each couple can choose exactly the variant that best suits their own needs.
Once support services have been decided in the German system, they are often backed up with very targeted information offers and accompanying measures. The statutory minimum wage is also widely welcomed today, despite a fierce dispute when it was introduced. Individual decisions have even been taken on the gradual increase. The German social system may be cumbersome, but it performs well despite all the criticism and is a good reason to live here.
Last updated on 6. February 2023