Overview

• New data from the Federal Employment Agency show 293 organized-fraud procedures opened through August 2025, with 151 criminal complaints filed.
• The agency confirmed 320 procedures were completed this year by August and warned that the true scale is likely higher than detected.
• Cases nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024, rising from 229 procedures to 421 with 209 criminal complaints last year.
• Social Minister Bärbel Bas said a draft reform was prepared over the summer and must secure coalition agreement before being presented publicly.
• Cross-party leaders from SPD and the Union back tougher rules, including minimum-hours criteria for worker status and stronger data-sharing between authorities to curb networks using sham or marginal jobs.