40% of Germans do not want to work full-time - but they will be forced to 0 9

The German Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses (MIT) proposes to limit the transition to part-time employment: workers will only be able to take advantage of this option if there are "special grounds." According to the authors of the initiative, these may include childcare, caring for relatives in need of assistance, or undergoing professional training. Voluntary part-time employment related to personal preferences should be excluded, MIT believes.

"Those who can work more should work more," said MIT chairwoman Gitta Connemann in Stern, explaining that Germany is facing a severe shortage of skilled labor. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also made similar statements, recently urging his fellow citizens to work more and abandon the "work-life balance."

This is not a new topic, but the record percentage has brought it back to the agenda and made it a subject of debate.

In 2025, the share of part-time workers in Germany reached 40 percent for the first time.

Legal Right

Part-time work (Teilzeit) in Germany is a common form of employment, often utilized by mothers due to a lack of places in kindergartens or for other reasons. Many, however, face forced part-time employment.

The law allows employees of companies with more than 15 employees to reduce their working hours after six months, except when necessary for business. But businesses can sometimes be capricious.

Part-time work implies working less than the standard 40 hours, while a 0.5 position means receiving half the salary for half the norm. Typically, Teilzeit implies working 20–30 hours a week.

For employment of less than 20 hours a week, special rules for medical and social insurance apply.

Part-time work allows for the combination of work activities with family responsibilities and personal preferences; however, it often does not provide a high income.

Debate

The new plan has faced sharp criticism both within the party and outside of it. CDU politician Dennis Radtke warned against the state imposing criteria on families or childcare. Young mothers work part-time. He called instead for improving the quality of childcare services, thereby increasing the number of children attending kindergarten full-time.

However, the document does not seem to address young mothers. The sticking point is personal preferences. The desire of many Germans to have more free time.

Criticism also came from the coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party. Deputy leader of the parliamentary faction Dagmar Schmidt accused the initiative of harming "cohesion in our country."

She stated that it is "extremely contradictory" to accuse the country's workers of laziness and force them to work overtime on one hand, and to "deport people who are integrated into society, receiving training and working" on the other.

However, the authors of the initiative likely assume that not every employed person works equally well. They aim to attract highly qualified workers into the labor process.

For many, free time has become a fundamental value. The work ethic remains in the past. Can this be corrected? Not necessarily.