WorkHard: Students should put in more hours for academic achievements
In a recent interview with the "Welt" newspaper, Green politician Danyal Bayaz has proposed changes to Germany's retirement age and disability pensions, specifically for university graduates. Bayaz, who studied communication sciences at Hohenheim University, believes that these adjustments are necessary to maintain the prosperity of the country and its social security systems.
Bayaz argues that academics enter the job market later and are less physically strained in their jobs, making them ideally suited to work for longer. He suggests different retirement ages for university graduates based on their degree, with the earliest being 68 for those with a bachelor's degree and 69 for master's degree holders.
The politician also advocates for financial support for individuals who, due to health reasons, cannot or only partially work, but are not yet of regular retirement age. Bayaz emphasises the importance of improving work-life balance and life expectancy, and demands that those who can work longer in the future should do so.
However, it is important to note that as of mid-2025, Germany does not have specific proposals to adjust the retirement age based directly on whether a person has a university degree or higher education qualification. The focus is more on increasing employment duration among all older workers rather than segmentation by educational attainment.
The idea of an "Aktivrente" (active pension) has been proposed in Germany to encourage older workers to remain employed longer. This reform aims to increase participation rather than differentiating by education level. The OECD notes that many countries have raised statutory retirement ages or linked retirement to life expectancy, but there is no indication that Germany plans to differentiate retirement age by educational attainment specifically.
In addition, government reports on aging in Germany discuss diversity and inequalities in old age but do not mention retirement ages based on education level. Generally, across OECD countries, retirement age increases and tightening of early retirement access aim to promote longer working lives, but these reforms typically do not adjust ages based on degree status.
Bayaz's proposals regarding retirement ages for university graduates were discussed in the interview, but it is important to note that he does not state any specific changes to retirement ages that have been implemented or are being considered. The politician also argues that well-paid specialists have an unchanged incentive to leave the job market early due to early retirement, and he considers early retirement at 63 a mistake.
It is worth noting that Bayaz's proposals are just one perspective in the broader discussions and policy changes related to retirement age and incentives to prolong working life in Germany and across OECD countries. For those interested in staying updated on this topic, a Staatsanzeiger subscription may be required to subscribe to topics and save articles.
- Bayaz's proposals for different retirement ages for university graduates, based on their degree, could potentially influence future discussions about the general-news topic of promoting longer working lives.
- In the realm of politics, advocating for financial support for those unable to work due to health reasons before regular retirement age could be seen as a part of broader finance and business strategies aimed at maintaining social security systems and improving work-life balance.
