Unemployment Benefits: “Cuts Will Only Accelerate the Shift to a Basic Income”

Originally published in German, IG Metall's Social Affairs Director Hans-Jürgen Urban criticizes plans to limit unemployment benefits to one year, arguing that such cuts would accelerate the need for a basic income and fail to address the real challenges faced by older unemployed individuals. He emphasizes that older workers struggle to find employment due to age discrimination and a lack of opportunities, not a lack of motivation, and calls for support through education and job training rather than benefit reductions. Employers, he argues, should create better job opportunities in Germany instead of relocating to low-wage regions or cutting training programs.

Read at IG Metall

All articles from 6 October 2026. Summaries are AI-generated and may contain errors; the linked article is the authority.