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Outgoing BA boss Scheele: "Anyone who registers as unemployed is usually placed back shortly thereafter"
Photo: Angelika Warmuth/ dpa
In an interview, the outgoing CEO of the Federal Employment Agency (BA), Detlef Scheele, criticized the change in sanctions for Hartz IV recipients.
"It would have been better if the government had cast the judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court of November 2019 in law," said the BA boss to the "Handelsblatt".
Scheele is retiring at the end of July.
His successor, the former Federal Labor Minister Andrea Nahles, is already familiarizing herself with the job.
The Karlsruhe judges decided in 2019 that the benefits of Hartz IV recipients can be reduced by up to 30 percent if the conditions are violated.
Because of the corona pandemic, the federal government had temporarily relaxed the regulations.
For one year, the cuts should only be ten percent - and this only after the second violation, for example against reporting requirements.
The Bundesrat allowed the corresponding suspension of the regulations, which the Bundestag had already decided, to pass on Friday.
Harmful discussion about sanctions
When the new citizens' allowance comes next year, cuts of 30 percent should be possible again.
Nobody could understand that, said Scheele.
"I don't want to be a job center consultant who has to explain that." 97 percent of benefit recipients would not come into contact with sanctions at all because all the requirements would be followed.
Scheele described it as a pity that the focus was now again on sanctions.
Scheele urged caution when assessing the new citizens' income.
He does not believe that simply granting a surcharge on top of the previous Hartz IV rates would be expedient.
"Because even if the standard rates were higher, it would be better to go to work and earn wages wherever possible," he said.
"In any case, the chances have rarely been as good as they are now," emphasized Scheele, with a view to the empty job market.
In this context, he conceded that the Federal Agency can currently only help companies to a limited extent in recruiting staff.
Only 700,000 people still received unemployment benefit I. "Anyone who registers as unemployed is usually placed back shortly thereafter," said Scheele.
»We have an employee labor market in which employers have to offer attractive working conditions if they want to survive.«
Scheele spoke out in favor of relaxing the conditions for refugees to stay in Germany.
"Tolerated refugees who have been here for a long time, who have jobs, whose children go to school here, should be allowed to stay, in my opinion," he said.
Germany must also get better at recognizing foreign qualifications.
“And you have to ensure that immigrants are allowed to bring their families with them.
Otherwise they'll be gone in no time."
mik/dpa-AFX
