Early Retirement for Germans: Advocate Bonita Grupp Pushes for this Change - Pondering over the idea of prolonging retirement age for Germans?
In a recent event organised by the Association of Entrepreneurs in Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart, Bonita Grupp, the CEO of German company Trigema, addressed the topic of a later retirement in light of an aging society.
Grupp, who took over the management of Trigema alongside her brother Wolfgang Grupp junior at the beginning of 2024, acknowledged that the topic of a later retirement is a tough one. However, she emphasised the importance of everyone working together to maintain prosperity, suggesting that as people live longer, the retirement age in Germany should adapt to ensure the sustainability of the pension system.
Trigema, based in Germany, currently employs over 1,140 employees and boasts a production turnover of 129.3 million euros in 2023. Despite not mentioning a specific age for a later retirement, Grupp believes that certain professions naturally allow for a later retirement, with physically demanding jobs requiring special consideration and less physically intense or more flexible professions potentially accommodating later retirement ages better.
Wolfgang Grupp senior, the previous leader of Trigema, had led the company for several decades and significantly increased its popularity. Grupp's views on a later retirement were not specific about a particular age, but she has been noted as a labor and social policy expert advocating for adjusting retirement age dynamically in line with changes in life expectancy.
The legal retirement age in Germany currently remains at 67, and it remains to be seen how the government will respond to Grupp's proposals. As the conversation around a later retirement continues, it is clear that the topic is of great importance for the future prosperity of Germany and its workforce.
- Given the current workforce and production statistics at Trigema, Grupp proposed that the adaptation of retirement age in Germany could ensure the sustainability of the pension system, aligning this with industry, finance, and business considerations.
- As industry experts and leaders, Bonita and Wolfgang Grupp emphasized the need for a flexible retirement policy, recognizing that certain professions, influenced by physical demand and flexibility, might potentially accommodate later retirement ages better.
