A Bertelsmann Foundation study released Friday found major gaps in job placement for recipients of Germany’s citizen’s income, with many not actively seeking work and job centers failing to provide offers or training.
The survey of about 1,000 employable recipients aged 25 to 50 showed 57 percent had not looked for a job in the four weeks before the poll. Nearly half said suitable positions were lacking, 45 percent cited illness, 22 percent pointed to caregiving duties, and 11 percent said they relied on casual jobs.
Forty‑three percent reported never receiving a job offer from a job center, while 38 percent said they had not been offered training or preparation measures.
According to the foundation, 1.8 million people currently receive citizen’s income and are considered unemployed but able to work. Even among active job seekers, effort was limited: 26 percent spent fewer than nine hours a week searching, and only 6 percent searched 20 hours or more.