Germany - EAPM

Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Personalführung e. V. (DGFP)

Other information

President (Non-Executive):	Stefan Lauer
Executive Director:	Katharina Heuer
International Manager:	Ute Graf Email: grafeapmatdgfpeapmdotde
Board member:	Hendrik Leuschke
Date Association Founded:	January 1952
National Employers' Association:	Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände e.V.(BDA), Website: www.bda-online.de
National Unions' Association:	Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (DGB), Website: www.dgb.de
Government Employment Office:	Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Website: www.arbeitsamt.de
Total Number Of Members:	2,500
Membership Categories:	Ordinary and extraordinary company membership; extraordinary individual membership (ie consultants, professors, etc); corresponding membership (for companies headquartered outside Germany)
Number of Regional Branches:	7 (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, München, Stuttgart)
Title of Primary Publication and Frequency of Issue:	Personalführung, monthly
Annual National Conference Dates:	21st National DGFP-Congress, 13-14 May 2013, in Frankfurt/Main

Country Profile 2009

Real GDP growth: Decrease by 5 % expected (instead of 5.8 %); growth by 0.3 % expected for 2010
Inflation rate: For the 2^nd time in 2009 a negative inflation rate was calculated; the reasons are decreasing engergy and food prices à otherwise inflation would have been 1.3%
Trends: Germany is still in recession; extension of short work; the International Monetary Fund has forecasted a slight economic improvement for 2010

Party in power: Center/right coalition of CDU/CSU and FDP since the elections in September 2009; contract negotiations shall be finished by the beginning of November 2009
Changes over the last 12 months: Substantial losses of CDU votes (30.7 %/- 5,9 %) and SPD votes (a dramatic 20.8 % of votes) à “exodus” of the two big parties CDU and SPD; the Bavarian CSU has also lost votes (7.2 %/-0.8%); the FDP (Liberal Democrats) gained 4.9 % which totals to 11 %; “Die Linke” (The Left) has gained votes (7.6 %/+1.5 %) à discussions whether SPD and The Left will build a coalition at federal level in future (already in place in some federal states)
Major issues on the agenda:
Contract negotiations between CDU/CSU and FDP over tax cuts and Germany’s state finances which is a key area of conflict
Other sub-committee negotiations include healthcare, environment, agriculture and employment regulations

Unemployment rate: Overall unemployment 8.3 % (7.5 % in 2008); 7.3 % (West), 12.8 % (East)
Unemployed people: An average of 3.35 mio. (June 2009); 4.5 mio. expected in 2010; 347.000 employees in short work (January 2009)
Skills shortages: Skills shortages ongoing in the area of engineering, experienced sales professionals and IT
Rate of pay increases: The pay increase varies from 3.0 % to 5 % across industries

New employment legislation: New regulation on short work allowance, New regulation on parental leave, Regulation on benefits for Board members
New government initiatives: Depending on contract negotiations of the new Government and its impact on the economy
Trends to notice:
Short work across industries (both in production and in sales areas)
Staff reduction is expected to increase in 2010
Germany, which normally profits from booming exports, is still suffering from a collapsing foreign demand
News: After 2007 the EAPM/BCG study was relaunched on “Creating people advantage in times of crisis – how to address HR challenges in the recession”; a summary can be obtained from http://www.eapm.org/DOC/events/EAPM-BCG_Creating_People_Advantage_in_Times_of_Crisis_March_2009.pdf; in 2010 the study will again be rolled out worldwide in cooperation with the WFPMA (World Federation of Personnel Management Associations)