[npstr]

There is plenty of money for bridges in this country if would stop taking it away from productive citizens that create value and giving it to unproductive citizens that just further reduces willingness to pick up a job. Working full-time vs living on benefits roughly evens out here in Germany, so I fully understand fellow citizens who stop working. Not only that, it justifies giant government departments that deal with determining each citizens needs and generally administering this redistribution that adds absolutely zero value. We need to fix these incentives.

[saagarjha]

> Working full-time vs living on benefits roughly evens out here in Germany, so I fully understand fellow citizens who stop working.

Source?

[blueflow]

Minimum wage around 1300 EUR per month. If you are on benefits you get maybe like 500 EUR and the gov pays your rent. Plus you get bonuses for kids, so if you are a single mom with several kids (increases your benefits) and no qualifications, working is not economical.

Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, i imagine if you do not work, you can spend more time with the kids.

[growse]

> Plus you get bonuses for kids

Kids famously come with costs attached as well.

[blueflow]

You are as poor as if you were working on minimum wage, but you have more time since you don't need to leave for work.

[csunbird]

What costs? Healthcare, schooling (including kindergarten) and transportation are free for kids. Only thing you need to do is feed them and buy them some clothes, and government already pays you money for that.

[silverquiet]

I think Germany has a rather complicated relationship with the whole "Arbeit macht frei" thing.

[rawland]

Exactly. The ones benefitting most in German society from people in the economy are „full-time“ politicians and „Beamte“ enjoying the worlds best healthcare, above average pay with little to no perf review, and a whole separate extremely nice pension system.

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beamter