More than twelve million people in Germany have a migrant background. They either immigrated to Germany themselves or are direct descendants of immigrants. The fact that Germany is a country of immigration also shapes the world of work: immigration plays an enormous role in the labor market and economic development.
At the same time, gainful employment plays a vital role in the social inclusion of immigrants and in fostering social cohesion. Work can be a factor in integration—when people are able to secure a livelihood through gainful employment. When a stable job and a sufficient income provide economic security and enable social participation.
A recent study by the DGB’s “Good Work Index” now shows that people with a migration background are disproportionately likely to end up in poor and precarious working conditions with only low wages. Fixed-term contracts and temporary agency work, as well as jobs in unskilled roles combined with poor career prospects, occur more frequently when employees themselves have immigrated to Germany or their parents have a history of immigration. But this has concrete consequences: Poor working conditions go hand in hand with uncertain life prospects. They hinder social participation and social recognition.
Unskilled Labor Is Widespread
According to the latest DGB study, a total of one-third of migrant workers are employed in unskilled or semi-skilled jobs, also known as “simple labor.” These jobs are characterized in particular by higher physical strain and low incomes. Among migrant workers performing unskilled labor, the largest share—46 percent—came from countries outside the European Economic Area. Among workers in Germany without a migrant background, only 18 percent are employed in these occupations.
The data also show that the proportion of fixed-term employment contracts among workers with a migrant background—at 17 percent—is more than three times as high as among respondents without a migrant background. Temporary agency work is also more prevalent among migrant workers than in the comparison group. In addition, these workers were more likely to work shifts . The figure here is exactly 21 percent, while among people without a migration background it was nearly half that—just 12 percent.
Concerns About the Professional Future
As the figures from the DGB study clearly show, precarious employment conditions lead to uncertainty about one’s own life plans. Nearly one in four workers with a migrant background is concerned about their own professional future. Among people without a migrant background, the figure is only 13 percent. Finally, 40 percent of migrant workers stated that their income is not enough to live on, or is barely enough.
The latest DGB study thus clearly shows that not every job promotes social inclusion. Precarious employment conditions, work in the low-wage sector, or even societal devaluation of the work performed can foster exclusion, dependency, and stigmatization. But that must not be allowed to happen. Decent work must be the goal for all workers—and for people with a migration background, it holds even greater significance.
