the failure of Hartz IV? On this question, and the future of the basic security of politicians and parties argue for years. Angela Merkel praised in March 2019, the current basic security. "In principle, has proven to Hartz IV," Merkel said at the time, even if the term verhetzt something "is".

The SPD, however, has decided at its recent party Congress, to want to Hartz IV in its current Form to abolish. The sanctions in case of breaches of duty of the receiver to be relaxed, and there should also be no longer entitled to unemployment benefit I. "We want to make Hartz IV behind us," he said at the time about Malu Dreyer, Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate. Hartz IV, the opinion of the social Democrats, do job-seekers to "supplicants".

But Hartz IV is really as bad as its reputation? To promote the long-term unemployment and inflates the low-wage sector? Or adjust some widespread false assumptions, informed discussion? FOCUS Online has made the facts and does away with some popular misconceptions.

1. In January 2005, the social laws came into force, were, under the name of Hartz-reforms-famous. A Central goal of these reforms: unemployment, alleviate long-term. Under the Motto "support and Challenge" to the long-term unemployed to be motivated, re-enter the labour market.

critics accuse the labour market reform, to have exactly this Plan in the to-be-missed. For example, the poverty researcher and political scientist Christoph Butterwegge. He said the news magazine "watson.de": "Hartz IV creates few opportunities to escape long-term unemployment."

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Also recently published Figures of the Federal Agency for work is reason for concern, according to which almost one fifth of the Hartz-IV is dependent receivers for ten years or longer, twelve percent of all recipients are already for 13 and 14 years of age on unemployment benefit II.

at the same time, the Figures of the employment Agency show, however, that The share of long-term unemployed (people unemployed for a year) of all unemployed people amounted to in the year 2019, approximately 32 percent. Thus, the share of long-term decreased unemployment continuously over the years – on a well-727.000 people.

For comparison: ten years Ago, the Federal employment Agency counted 1,138 million long-term unemployed. Also, the share of longterm unemployed among all the unemployed was, at the time, with 33 per cent, slightly higher (in the year 2005 at 36 percent).

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affected Many children are in Germany, the Hartz IV-dependent. However, Figures show an improvement. Although the number of children who were dependent on Hartz IV soared, with the entry into force of the Reform of 2005, and amounted to considerably more than two million - but since then the Trend comes back in a different direction (with the exception of 2015). Thus, the number of children in Germany, the life of the Hartz-IV-services-decreased, and the end of 2018 to 1.95 million minors. This represents a decrease of 3.7 percent compared to the previous year.

However, the Figures also show that a group remains particularly vulnerable, especially children of lone parents are dependent on Hartz IV benefits, the end of 2018, almost 887.000 children.

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workers are entitled to Hartz IV benefits, if your income is too low to maintain their livelihood, and the possible further budget riding pair to best. Is Almost one Million workers received at the beginning of 2019, due to a low salary for the stacking at the end of social benefits Hartz IV, But how has this number developed in the past years and since the labour market reforms of 2005 under Gerhard Schröder (SPD)?

According to statistics from the Federal employment Agency, the number of data is decreased with the economic upswing of recent years – from 1.4 million in 2009 to around a Million in the year 2018. Exciting: Under the workers receiving supplementary benefits have, only one in eight worked 2018 full-time (133.354 people). In 2009, it was still more than every Fourth (368.753 people). FOCUS MONEY – rich without the work

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see The Left in this increase of wages by Hartz-IV-services of a "covert subsidization of wage dumping". Thus, the Left party member of Parliament Sabine Zimmermann the end of 2019, said: "The company is subsidized so for many years, employers who pay low wages or their employees only work in part-time or mini-jobs, although many would like to work longer."

The DIW researchers, and labour market expert Karl Brenke looks about in a different way: to contradict the actual development of unemployment and the fact that the low-spread-wage sector in Germany from 1995 to 2006, Hartz IV was introduced in 2005 to speak"". Also detailed data to show up in 2016, from a study by the Institute for work and qualification at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the share of Low-wage workers to all workers has for years been relatively constant (in 2016, the share was 22.7 per cent). the Institute for work and qualification

Instead, the reasons for the growing number of low-wage earners around the turn of the Millennium, more diverse: globalization and the easier access of German companies to low-wage countries to carry their share, as well as the high level of unemployment after the reunification. So especially Eastern workers had on the labour market in a weak negotiating position.

often the question of the willingness of the unemployment benefit recipients is discussed, a new Job. A DIW-evaluation of the socio-economic panel from the year 2018 shows: in 2008, eight out of ten unemployed people with Hartz IV, an offered Job immediately accept. 2016 to be met, however, only two-thirds. However, it is considered here only the setting and not the actual behavior.

At this point it must be stressed that in spite of this tendency, the results from the years 2008 and 2018 is not one-to-one compare. To take into account is that in 2008 significantly more people have been unemployed.

As the Hartz-IV-receiver about often, if job offers are not accepted without information of important reasons, with the Sanctions expected. However, the Federal constitutional court has decided in the last year that sanctions should not be allowed by more than 30 percent in the future.

a Good thing, say critics of the system. Greens leader Robert Habeck about called the cuts "unfair and demotivating". A study by the Institute for labour market and occupational research (IAB), however, is somewhat different. Although the sanctions would be accompanied with some strong cuts in the life of the Concerned, emphasise the authors. The results of the study would also suggest that sanctions have led to a quicker Integration into the labour market. The punitive measures are important in order to allow those not complying with their legal duties.

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