According to a new survey, an increasing number of people in Germany are losing their desire to work. Almost half of the employees (48 percent) would switch to part-time if their employer allowed it. And 56 percent stated that they would quit work as soon as possible if they were not financially dependent on the job.

This was determined by the Yougov survey institute for an annual job study published by the insurer HDI in Hanover on Tuesday. In June and July, the pollsters surveyed 3,891 employees aged 15 and over.

Before the start of the corona pandemic in 2019, only 41 percent said that they would prefer to stop working if they had sufficient finances. More than three-quarters said they would welcome the introduction of the four-day week in their company, but a large majority would only do so if wages were fully compensated.

Especially young workers

The commitment to work is therefore decreasing, especially among young employees: 58 percent of those under 25 said that they could not imagine life without a job - in 2020 it was 69 percent.

Both the client HDI and the Federal Employment Agency see the survey as evidence of the rapid change in the world of work: "It is not surprising that the requirements of companies and the expectations of employees of their working and everyday life are changing rapidly," said Torsten Withake, head of the North Rhine-Westphalian regional directorate of the Federal Employment Agency.

"According to the results of our study, young professionals in Germany in particular are vehemently striving for more freedom at work," reported HDI Germany boss Christopher Lehmann.

Employees' expectations are in contrast to the demands of the labor market. According to figures from the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), there were 1.9 million vacancies in the second quarter of this year, more than ever since the surveys began. The personnel situation in hospitals and care facilities is tense, but there are also many vacancies in the trades and IT industry.