Bertelsmann study: Caregiving costs 230,000 jobs
A new study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows it in black and white: anyone who cares for a relative for more than ten hours a week reduces their job or quits altogether. By 2045, the German labour market will therefore be short of around 230,000 full-time workers. This is not an abstract problem. It affects families in Alpen, Wesel, Xanten and in every other town on the Lower Rhine who try every day to somehow combine care and work.
What exactly does the study say?
The figures from the Bertelsmann study are clear. Around 6 million people in Germany need care. About 80 percent of them are looked after at home, by relatives or outpatient care services. And 4.6 million people of working age care for at least one relative at home. That is one in eleven working people in this country.
The decisive threshold is ten hours per week. Beyond this workload, people leave their jobs or significantly reduce their hours. If nothing changes in the system, one in seven working people will have to care for a relative in the future. That is a significant increase. And it will cost the labour market around 230,000 full-time positions by 2045.
Why is this a political problem?
The study comes out at the worst possible time. Just before the federal government's planned care reform is due to be implemented, these figures are on the table. And they fit poorly with the picture currently being painted politically. Simply working more sounds rather hollow as an answer when millions of people cannot work any more because they are looking after someone at home.
This is not a reproach to family caregivers. Quite the opposite. These people achieve an enormous amount every day. But they need support so that they have a real choice about how much they work. And that is exactly where the current situation falls short.
What role do outpatient care services play?
The Bertelsmann study speaks of so-called informal care. By this it means both the work of family caregivers and the support provided by professional services. Outpatient care services, intensive care services as well as classic round-based care, are a central building block of this system.
When a care service takes over the care of a relative, or at least part of it, the caregiver can go to work in the morning. Full-time or at least part-time. That sounds simple, but it has huge economic effects. Strengthening outpatient care services also relieves the labour market.
That is why it is not enough to relieve only family caregivers. The federal government must also specifically support professional care services. Because they devote 100 percent of their resources to ensuring that relatives can remain able to work at all. In regions such as Moers, Rheinberg or Kamp-Lintfort, it is often small and medium-sized care services that provide this balance in everyday life.
What needs to change in the care reform?
The study reaches a clear conclusion: anyone who wants to improve the compatibility of care and work must start in two places. First, with the relatives themselves, with better relief, more flexibility and concrete support in everyday life. Second, with the professional care services that make this relief possible in the first place.
In concrete terms, this means: outpatient care services need better conditions, fair pay and less bureaucracy. As long as that does not happen, the equation remains the same. Family caregivers cut their working hours. And the labour market loses skilled workers it urgently needs.
The care reform is a great opportunity. But it will only take effect if it also strengthens professional services and does not merely distribute responsibility on paper.
What does this mean for you as a caregiver?
Imagine you are caring for a parent at home and at the same time wondering whether you can still manage your job. Millions of people in Germany are in exactly this situation. You are not alone, even if it often feels that way.
The first step is to get support. An outpatient care service can take over parts of the care and give you some breathing room. That is not a weakness. It is a wise decision, for you and for the person you care for. Because anyone who is permanently overloaded cannot provide good care in the long run.
Talk to your long-term care insurance fund (Pflegekasse) about the options you are entitled to. And simply call us if you have questions. We know the situation on the Lower Rhine and will help you find the right path.
Are you caring for a relative and wondering how to combine this with your job? We are here for you in Alpen and across the entire Lower Rhine. Call us or send us a quick message, and we will look together at what is possible.
Source: https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/de/themen/aktuelle-meldungen/2026/angehoerigen-pflege-fehlende-vereinbarkeit-mit-dem-job-gefaehrdet-im-jahr-2045-mehr-als-200000-stellen
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bertelsmann study say about care and work?
The Bertelsmann Stiftung study shows that 4.6 million people of working age in Germany provide care alongside their jobs. Anyone who provides care for more than ten hours a week reduces their job or quits. By 2045, the labour market will therefore be short of around 230,000 full-time positions.
At how many hours of care is a job at risk?
The study names ten hours per week as the critical threshold. Beyond this workload, there is a high likelihood that working people will reduce their working hours or stop working altogether.
How do outpatient care services help family caregivers?
Outpatient care services take over part of the care at home. This allows family caregivers to continue working full-time or part-time. They are therefore an important factor in combining care and work.
What does the study demand of politicians?
The study recommends specifically supporting so-called informal care. This includes both supporting family caregivers and strengthening professional outpatient care services through better conditions and fair pay.
What can I do if I can no longer combine care and my job?
Contact your long-term care insurance fund (Pflegekasse) and ask about relief services you are entitled to. An outpatient care service can take over parts of the care and give you free time. Early counselling helps before the situation becomes a burden.