„Aufstocker“: Folge der Arbeitsmarktreformen?

For some, the widespread combination of earned income and means-tested benefits shows the inappropriateness of labour market policy through low wages. For others, it merely reflects low productivity of the employees in question. The working-poor phenomenon, defined as working people needing means-tested benefits to meet family poverty lines, is not an aftereffect of the Hartz reforms, but already existed at comparable levels before that. However, the problematic situation of poor working households came into public focus only after the transition into the new basic income support system. We seek to explain why the combination of income and benefits is so prevalent. Very low hourly wages, a low number of working hours per week and underemployment are the main reasons for insufficient household income and the resulting need for income support. The introduction of a minimum wage can increase gross wages for many of the working poor and set a signal of respect for low wage workers. But increases in the net income of poor working households will be rather marginal due to transfer reduction rates. The working-poor-phenomenon will largely persist as an individual aspect of household-incomes below poverty levels, because the social benefits in the field of child allowance and housing allowance do not sufficiently cover basic needs.