How Employers
Create Good Jobs
Creating excellent working conditions is not just a catchphrase or advertising slogan for companies. They are committed to ensuring that their working conditions are not just good, but excellent. “Work Made in Germany” illustrates exactly what this looks like. This website provides an overview of how employers in Germany are consciously and positively shaping working conditions — no matter whether they are large corporations, medium-sized companies, or small businesses.
… of employees are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs.
©AdobeStock / G. Lombardo
Good work is important. It keeps companies competitive, innovative, and high-performing.
The value of the work remains the same, but expectations have changed.
Well-designed working conditions are a key factor in health, motivation, and self-esteem (Knieps & Pfaff, 2020). What makes them so unique are their characteristics: work fosters social connec-tions and a supportive environment. It structures the day (the week, the year), enables personal growth, and provides the experience that one’s own actions are valuable.
The value of work remains the same as it was decades ago — what has changed are expectations regarding working conditions. Today, more than ever, a job is expected to offer sufficient flexibility: work-life balance is a top priority for many employees, as are a sense of community and opportunities for growth (Randstad, 2025; VdU 2023). However, long-term job security and good leadership continue to play an important role as well (Forsa, 2025).
Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to be flexible and open to change for companies in Germany. They face the challenge of balancing the diverse expectations of their employees with the demands of digitalization, change processes, sustainability, new forms of leader-ship, agility, and flexibility — as well as the need for cost-effectiveness — while ensuring that working conditions continue to have a positive impact on health, performance, and motivation.
High Levels of Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction levels have remained consistently high since 1990, with no discernible downward trend. On average, over 90% of employees are moderately or even highly satisfied with their work (Hammermann, 2025). The combination of high job satisfaction, motivation, and job security makes Germany a leader in job quality in Europe. The OECD (2025) and Euro-found (2024) consistently rank Germany among the leading countries.
- Work satisfaction: The results have remained consistently high over time since 1990, with no discernible downward trend. On average, over 90% of employees are moderately or even highly satisfied with their work.
- Work Motivation: The majority of employees continue to feel committed to their work. They feel enthusiastic and energetic on the job. A solid 90% are confident that they generally do a good job.
- Intentions to change jobs: The turnover rate is lower than it was before the pandemic.
- Length of employment: Unfortunately, this has been declining since the 1990s. Younger employees, in particular, tend to stay with a company for shorter periods.
You can find the complete evaluation here: → www.iwkoeln.de/studien/andrea-hammermann-arbeitsmotivation-und-arbeitgeberbindung-in-deutschland
High Levels of Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction levels have remained consistently high since 1990, with no discernible downward trend. On average, over 90% of employees are moderately or even highly satisfied with their work (Hammermann, 2025). The combination of high job satisfaction, motivation, and job security makes Germany a leader in job quality in Europe. The OECD (2025) and Euro-found (2024) consistently rank Germany among the leading countries.
Good work design as the key to job satisfaction
Good working conditions in the workplace are the foundation for high job satisfaction. According to surveys conducted by BiBB and BAuA in 2018 and 2024, workplace resources such as autonomy are steadily increasing (BAuA, 2022 & 2025). The same applies to collaboration with col-leagues and the sense of belonging to the workplace community — this has remained at a high level for many years and even continued to rise slightly through 2024. Support from managers has also improved, but there is still room for improvement [see Fig. 1]
In fact, working conditions cannot always be influenced, like in cases of humidity when working outdoors. However, measures can be taken to protect employees from negative stressors and to ensure that certain factors are perceived as less stressful. Fortunately, working environment conditions such as “cold, heat, wetness, humidity, and drafts” and others have improved since 2018 in terms of whether employees frequently exposed to these conditions perceive them as stressful. The same applies to psychological factors such as “intense deadline and performance pressure” [see Fig. 1].
Social partnership and collective bargaining agreements shape working conditions in Germany
In Germany, the cooperative relationship between employers and their employees (or their respective associations) plays a special role in shaping labor relations and working conditions. This social partnership operates at various levels: In collective bargaining agreements, employers’ associations or individual employers negotiate working conditions with labor unions for entire industries or individual companies. The social partners participate in the self-administration of social insurance and the Federal Employment Agency through representatives of the employer and insured (employee) sides and serve as honorary judges in labor and social courts. Within companies, elected work councils work together with management in a spirit of trust and responsibility.
Collective bargaining agreements, in particular, play a key role in ensuring good working conditions in Germany. They remain the primary framework for shaping employment relationships. Collective bargaining agreements not only contain provisions on core working conditions such as wages, vacation, and working hours. They often also provide appropriate frameworks, for example, for a better work-life balance, employee training and continuing education, or company pension plans. These provisions are frequently further developed at the company level. In doing so, collective bargaining agreements often shape working conditions even in companies where they do not apply directly. Three-quarters of all employment relationships are thus shaped directly or indirectly by collective bargaining agreements (IAB, 2025).
We demand:
Strengthening Germany as a Business Hub Through Modern Collective Bargaining Policy
Collective bargaining agreements are a key instrument of social partnership and ensure both the competitiveness of companies and good working conditions. In times of crisis, they have proven to be a stabilizing force—from the financial crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
In light of global upheavals and technological changes, collective bargaining agreements must become more flexible and tailored to specific needs. Moderate wage agreements and company-level flexibility clauses have proven particularly helpful in the past.
Our demands:
- Strengthening collective bargaining coverage through reliable and responsible social partners.
- Reducing overregulation in favor of greater flexibility at the company level.
- No political interference in collective bargaining autonomy — collective agreements must set economically sound minimum conditions.
- Introduction of a modular collective bargaining system with flexible solutions instead of rigid all-inclusive packages—particularly attractive for small and young businesses.
A modern collective bargaining policy must be industry-specific, crisis-proof, and forward-looking—so that Germany remains a strong business location.
