Overview

• Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft estimates about 60,000 full‑time equivalents at Länder and municipal level could be trimmed if states matched Sachsen‑Anhalt’s efficiency, implying roughly €3.4 billion in annual savings.
• Official data highlight the fiscal scale as Länder and municipalities spend about €835 million per day on personnel.
• The IW analysis finds sharp regional disparities, citing an estimated surplus of roughly 3,600 positions in Schleswig‑Holstein and potential reductions of about 13,000 in North Rhine‑Westphalia and 10,000 in Baden‑Württemberg.
• In the dbb/Forsa poll, 73 percent say the state is overwhelmed by its tasks and, for the first time in the series, a majority considers the public service too costly.
• Workplace strain remains acute, with half of public‑sector employees reporting they have been hindered, harassed, insulted or attacked while on duty, and broad support for faster digitalization and simpler rules to improve services.