Employment Gap: Nearly One-Fifth of Thuringia Businesses Exclusive Club for Able-Bodied
Every company out of five, excluding those with disabled employees, experiences the impact. - Around one-fifth of holdings lack the presence of individuals with severe disabilities.
Take a stroll through Thuringia's employment landscape and you'll find a shocking reality – more than 20% of businesses flouting their legal duty to employ individuals with disabilities! According to recent numbers from Thuringia's regional office of the Federal Employment Agency, over 1 in 5 employment-obligated companies failed to hire any disabled workers in 2023. A decade ago, this number was a tad higher at 21.1%.
Businesses shirking their employment obligations are hit with a monthly compensation fee, the size of which depends on the firm's size and the shortfall in hiring disabled employees. Beginning January 1, 2024, companies ducking their responsibilities will face stiffer penalties, with fees climbing up to a whopping 720 euros per month for larger companies.
Thuringia boasts around 25,000 disabled workers in 2023, with 79% of them reaching the ripe age of 45 or older. The majority are employed in manufacturing, public administration, or the social and health sectors.
Stagnant Inclusion Gauge
Though progress has been slow, around 44.9% of employers in Thuringia met their legal obligation to hire disabled workers in 2023. Last year, the figure stood at 44%, and a decade before that, it was a slightly higher 46.4%. Furthermore, 34.3% of companies at least partially filled their disability-employment quota in 2023, compared to 32.4% a decade prior. This means a significant chunk of these companies only staffed a portion of the legally required jobs with disabled individuals.
The promotion of disabled workers' integration into the workforce is becoming increasingly significant due to demographic shifts. Markus Behrens, chairman of the regional office, emphasized the need to shatter stereotypes and ensure better inclusion by providing support to companies. Various resources are available, including rehabilitation specialists at local employment agencies and promotional instruments ranging from training to salary subsidies to technical assistance.
[*Data on current and past employment rates of disabled individuals in Thuringia, along with information about specific initiatives implemented by Thuringia's local authorities to encourage the employment of disabled individuals, might be found through consultations with local government reports or Thuringia's statistical offices.]
[5] Source: Social Code (Book IX) governing rehabilitation and participation of people with disabilities in Germany.
- To enhance the integration of disabled workers and address the stagnant inclusion gauge, local authorities in Thuringia are providing support to businesses through resources such as rehabilitation specialists, vocational training programs, salary subsidies, and technical assistance as a part of their community policy, aligned with the education-and-self-development sector.
- As technology continues to evolve and shape our lifestyles, it is crucial to ensure that disabled individuals are equipped with the necessary vocational training to compete in a diverse, equitable workforce, also contributing to the promotion of their social and economic inclusion in the region.
