Germany / Poverty afflicts older ‘guest workers’

(Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor) – A newly published study by the economic and social sciences institute within the Hans Böckler Foundation indicates that today, more than 40 percent of migrants in retirement age are affected by poverty. This is more than triple the poverty rate among German citizens.

Under the European Union definition, those considered to be poor or threatened by poverty live off of less than 60 percent of the average income – that amount is 848 euros ($1,092) for single people in Germany, and 1,278 euros ($1,673) for couples.

The study looked not only at singles, but also couples and larger families. “If the one person [in the household] has more than 848 euros but the other nothing at all, they’re both in poverty,” said Eric Seils, who co-authored the report.

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via Poverty afflicts Germany’s older ‘guest workers’ | Germany | DW.DE | 11.07.2013.