Hanau in focus: Discussion about new labor market reforms and citizenship!

Hanau in focus: Discussion about new labor market reforms and citizenship!

On May 8, 2025, Heike Hengster, the chairwoman of the management of the Hanau Employment Agency, and the CDU member of the Bundestag Pascal Reddig discussed the current developments on the labor market and the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD. A central topic was the planned reform of the citizens' allowance, which in the future is to be replaced by a "new basic security" in order to meet the requirements of a modern world of work. Reddig emphasizes the principle: "Those who can work should work". However, people who cannot work for health reasons should continue to receive support from the welfare state.

The reform also stipulates that people who refuse from principle to the labor market must fear sanctions. For effective implementation, a “house around the working life” will be set up, which is intended to strengthen the cooperation between the city of Hanau, which will be independent from January 1, 2026, and the employment agency. This new concept aims to bring the job center, the social welfare office and the Office for Divisions together under one roof.

Junction and personnel resources

As part of the reform, a joint youth professor for Hanau is also launched. This is part of the efforts to convey people to work faster and to combat the shortage of skilled workers. Hengster expressed the desire for good personnel equipment from the new federal government and emphasized: "Nobody should be lost". However, the tense economic situation is also reflected in the labor market; Job growth is particularly available in the nursing sector and service sector, while the manufacturing business remains stagnating.

In addition to discussion in Hanau, the IAB ib.de recently published the results of an extensive survey. This survey is part of the evaluation of the Citizens' Geld Act, which came into force in 2023. According to Dr. Sarah Bernhard vary the ratings of the citizens' money reform significantly. While highly specialized grants such as holistic coaching are perceived positively, there is criticism of the maternity leave for living and assets that are supposed to remedy social hardship.

adaptation to the reality of the job center

The survey, which included over 300 participants, showed that the budget for integration services and administrative costs is 11 percent lower than in the previous year, which is evaluated by 70 percent of managers. In addition, many job center employees fear that the transfer of further training advice and financing to the agencies of work could bring disadvantages for the beneficiaries of the citizens' allowance. Almost two thirds of the job center management see the administrative effort as the greatest obstacle to effective advice and mediation.

WARNING period for assets plays a subordinate role in practice, while the living situation in consultations is often discussed. A large part of the job center staff considers vocational training as a long-term, more helpful strategy compared to mediation in auxiliary activities. In addition, the proportion of sustainable workings in the past ten years has increased from 57 percent in 2013 to 68 percent in 2023. A agreement on the reform requirement of basic security for job seekers is clearly recognizable among the respondents.

The evaluation by the IAB looks at the access and services as well as the integration and advisory process. The aim is to shed light on the effects of the reform on the relevant labor market -political target dimensions. As early as the first survey, it became clear that central questions about the order of basic security remained unclear and the political expectations of the citizens' benefit are assessed as too high.