Overview
- An internal analysis for 2024 reports that more than 52% of people placed into jobs returned to Bürgergeld after roughly three months.
- Of about 837,000 employable recipients assessed, around 436,000 integrations failed and 401,000 were considered durable, with employed benefit top‑ups (“Aufstocker”) not counted as exits.
- Durable exit rates are especially weak for key groups: under‑25s fell to 46.3% in 2024 from 56.6% in 2022, over‑55s were about 49.9%, non‑citizens 44.7%, and families and single parents fared particularly poorly.
- Jobcenter staff highlight mental health issues and poor German skills (55%) as leading obstacles, alongside low motivation (39%), low qualifications (38%), physical illness (31%) and childcare constraints (23%).
- Officials note many placements are short‑term or via temp agencies and end quickly, the caseload has been shaped by Ukrainian arrivals since 2022, and policymakers plan a stricter ‘Neue Grundsicherung’ next year as Nordhausen pilots compulsory €1.20‑per‑hour tasks for under‑25s without training.