Despite recommendations from an expert commission to raise the retirement age, more than half of employees aged 50 and over in Germany are considering retiring early. This is one of the key findings of the latest DAK Health Report, published by the health insurer DAK-Gesundheit on Monday in Hamburg.
Across all age groups, 44 percent of employees say they are considering leaving work before the official retirement age. A further 35 percent want to work until they reach retirement age, and nine percent plan to continue working beyond it.
Among employees aged 50 and over, the desire for early retirement is particularly pronounced, 52 percent are considering it. Health plays a central role in this decision. Among workers in this age group who rate their health as good, 49 percent want to leave early. Among those who assess their health negatively, that figure rises to 60 percent.
The survey was carried out by the IGES Institute on behalf of DAK-Gesundheit, covering around 7,000 employees. It also found that older workers take sick leave less often but are off work for longer periods on average.
Last year, for every 100 employees over the age of 50, there were 165 sick notes, compared to significantly more among the under-50s, at 213 cases. However, illnesses among older workers tend to be more serious, resulting in correspondingly longer absences. Overall, employees over 50 averaged 26.9 days of absence per person, compared to 17.4 days among younger age groups. At age 66, the average sick leave rate stood at 11 percent
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