- The government experiences a significant workforce reduction due to employee retirement.
Nearly a third of workers from Berlin's administrative body are anticipated to retire due to age in the near future, with around 40,079 individuals, equating to 31.9% of the permanent workforce, expected to leave by 2033. This prediction comes from a statistical report by the Finance Administration to the House of Representatives regarding personnel, first brought to light by "Tagesspiegel".
The number of individuals directly employed by the state saw an increase of 1,470 (1.1%) within a year, rising to a total of 133,574 (as of January 2024). Full-time positions also saw a growth of 717 (0.6%) to reach 123,235. The term "direct state service" encompasses central administrative bodies at the state level, comprising 107,378 employees, and district administrative bodies, numbering 26,166 employees. An additional 30 staff members are not categorized within these statistics.
The average age of employees has decreased for the 10th consecutive year, settling at 46.5 years (as of January 2024). The proportion of part-time workers also increased, going up from 25.7 to 26.9% within a year. The proportion of women in the workforce decreased by 0.1 percentage points, now standing at 58.2%. 42.8% of the total workforce are civil servants, while the remaining 57.2% are simply employees. 3.1% of the entire workforce hold a non-German nationality.
Like many other sectors, Berlin's public service is grappling with a shortage of skilled workers. The city's government is combating this issue with a personnel development program 2030, which was implemented last year. This initiative pulls together numerous concepts and projects, including the use of digitization and AI to enhance administrative processes and services. Finance Senator Stefan Evers (CDU) has previously stressed that Berlin's administration will need to function more efficiently with fewer staff members in the future.
The predicted retirements from the administrative body could lead to challenges in maintaining public service, as 40,079 civil servants are expected to retire by 2033. The personnel development program 2030, which incorporates digitization and AI, aims to address these challenges by enhancing administrative processes and services with fewer staff members.
