A few years ago, many residents of the former USSR certainly wanted to go to Permanent residence in Germany and other capitalist countries. The fact is that without even knowing the language and not having decent work in America, Germany and other countries, you could live in peace unemployment benefits. Unfortunately, these times have already passed. Now it’s very difficult to survive on benefits abroad. Payments are greatly reduced, and in order to receive them, you need to fulfill too many conditions.
So how much do they pay in Germany? The unemployment benefit in this country is paid by an organization called Arbeitsamt | Agentur für Arbeit | Jobcenter. The basis of her work is a social system that provides assistance to the unemployed and the poor.
How to survive in Germany without work
Believed to be more the developed countries pay huge unemployment benefits. Germany today every day more and more dispels this stereotype.
The fact is that one of the criteria for assessing a country's success is the unemployment rate. But there are a lot of people who do not have work in Germany today. In connection with the latest events unfolding in Europe, he many times exceeded the usual limits. A huge number of refugees rushed to Germany from the zones of armed conflict played a role in this matter. And although the country of Goethe and Kant is only beginning to slowly come to its senses, one can still count on state support here.
Unemployment rate
The fact that not everything in this country is so rosy is evidenced, for example, by the fact that even native Germans who have reached retirement age still try to find a part-time job. Just a little over ten years ago, they had enough pension benefits not only for a decent life, but also for traveling around the world. Today, everything is completely different.
In 2015, the unemployment rate in this country was fixed at 7%. This means that more than 3 million Germans (and not only) lost their jobs and are forced to look for a new one, content with social benefits. Although living in unemployment benefits in Germany is not easy today, it’s even more difficult to get a job, even unskilled.
Interestingly, 50% of the unemployed in Germany are young people who do not have any special education. The easiest way to get a job is for those who have graduated and are qualified. Technical specialties are especially appreciated.
A large number of vacancies are also offered in the category of “unskilled labor”. But it is paid so low that refugees arriving in the country most often seek not so much work as unemployment benefits. In Germany, you can get the necessary education for free, but for this you must:
- register with a special service;
- to agree to any unskilled part-time that the social worker will offer you;
- remind him again and again that you want to receive the Ausbildung (training for the profession you need), after which you will be happy to move to a new place.
Who can find a job?
Although the unemployment benefit in Germany is paid to everyone who needs it, it is small, especially for those who do not have work experience. Therefore, it is best, of course, to try to get a job. German companies usually have vacancies, although they are few. Everyone is hired: German citizens, EU residents, migrants, refugees and immigrants.
As already mentioned, techies are especially honored here.If you have the appropriate education, you will be happy to be offered the position of engineer, power engineer, electronics engineer, designer, and so on. Such employees are usually waiting for a good salary, social package and career growth.
Another area of activity in which there are always vacancies is commerce and trade. Here they are ready to accept managers, logisticians, sales agents and other employees who know how to properly "process" the client.
Medicine is another area of German activity where there is always a vacancy for a qualified specialist. She also belongs to the category of highly paid.
For those who do not have any of the above skills, but still want to get a job, the service sector remains. Waiters, cleaners, dishwashers and home staff are in priority. Unfortunately, earnings are quite low and barely exceed living wage. Therefore, the Germans are reluctant to take such vacancies, but migrants and refugees do not have to particularly choose.
The difficulty lies in the fact that work in families is most often illegal, therefore, in the event of a breakdown in employment with the employer, the employee does not have any guarantees, and, accordingly, the right to decent social support.
Unemployment benefits
In Germany, as in Russia, there is a public employment service. In another way, it is called the federal agency (agency) of labor. Not only citizens of this country have the right to receive unemployment benefits in Germany, but also refugees or people who have come for permanent residence and have obtained the right to work.
The procedure for paying money is not so different from the Russian one. To apply for unemployment benefits in Germany, you will have to run a lot. It is necessary to collect a huge package of documents, fulfill many conditions and prove to the employee of the social service their plight.
Unemployment benefits may be paid to those who have lost their jobs as a result of management's decision to reduce staff due to a crisis or reorganization. Money does not shine for those dismissed of their own free will or for any wrongdoing. If a person comes under reduction, he must not later than 90 days report this to the labor agency and submit an application that claims to be supported by the state. After that comes the official moment for collecting documents.
It must be confirmed that:
- the applicant was officially employed and worked for at least 1 year;
- the employer regularly made contributions to social funds from the applicant’s salary;
- the future unemployed had employment not less than 15 hours a week;
- The dismissal was initiated by the employer.
Only with the confirmation of all these points is there a chance to get the right to payment.
Payout Sizes
The amount of unemployment benefits in Germany depends on what kind of wages a person received before leaving. This amount is 60–85% of the last salary. Although most often it is still 60%, but with average salary in Germany 2,500 euros, the allowance can be about 1,500 euros. Not so little. There are also some factors that increase unemployment benefits in Germany. The amount may be increased if the unemployed brings up a minor child or lives with a parent raising such a child (that is, the child is not yours, but your roommate).
There is an upper limit for benefits. Whatever salary you receive before leaving, the allowance cannot be more than 2,200 euros for West Germany and 1,950 for East.
Now let's talk about how much they pay in Germany. Unemployment benefits, as mentioned above, can be 1,500 euros. But keep in mind that living constantly on payouts will not work. After 18 months, your employment ceases to be a labor agency problem. If by this time you have not bothered to find a job, your allowance is reduced by several times and can be no more than 400 euros.
ALG 1 and 2
Unemployment benefits in Germany are divided into two types:
Alg i - only payments (monthly) for people left without work, that is, those same 60–85% of the salary.
ALG II - minimum payment + compensation for housing and heating costs.
There is another type of payment - Arbeitslosengeld. This is the monetary content of full unemployment, which is issued for the whole family. If at least one of the family members is working, then by law he must support the rest, then such a benefit will be refused.
First, a person who is left without work is assigned ALG I allowance. If he still did not get a job during his receipt, he may file an application for the appointment of ALG II. Renew such a statement will have every 6 months. The only exceptions are persons over 58 years of age, pregnant women, single mothers and persons with disabilities.
HARZ IV
This is the most common unemployment benefit in Germany for expats. To obtain it, you need to live and officially work in the country for at least a year. In this case, it is necessary to pay deductions to the German social insurance service.
In fairness, it is worth saying that the native Germans are very bad at people living on such payments. Obtaining HARZ IV may be an obstacle to obtaining German citizenship. So, if you decide to come to this country, the next day to apply for unemployment benefits and live happily on it for the remaining years, nothing will come of it. Every year, the procedure for obtaining this type of benefits is tightened.
Housing Compensation
Depending on what kind of unemployment benefit in Germany a person receives, he may qualify for additional payments. One of them is Wohngeld. This is a partial or full compensation for rental costs. Compose such a benefit can be from 30 to 500 euros. It is drawn up for a period of one year and requires documentary confirmation of the fact that the petitioner is not able to pay for housing on his own. After 12 months, it will need to be reissued.
Wohngeld is divided into two types:
- Antrag auf Lastenzuschuss - reimbursement of expenses for own housing;
- Antrag auf Mietzuschuss - payment for a rented apartment.
Child allowance
Another important guide in Germany is Kindergeld. These are payments for children under the age of 18. Issues his organization called Familienkasse. To receive payments you do not need anything, the main thing is to have a minor child. Moreover, the child does not have to be a German citizen, but the parents (at least one of them) must have the right to stay and work in this country.
Payments depend on how old the child is and how many children are in the family:
- up to 230 € for children under 6 years of age;
- up to 260 € for children from 6 to 13 years old;
- up to 300 € for teens from 14 to 17 years old.
If upon reaching the age of 18 the child was unable to find a job, then the allowance can be extended until he reaches the age of 25 or until he goes to work.
If you expect to receive unemployment benefits in the land of Goethe, it is worth remembering that the Germans are a very law-abiding people. Therefore, if over time it becomes clear that a person illegally earned money while receiving payments, then all payments are immediately canceled, and a pretty impressive fine can be imposed on the violator.
