AfD pushes compulsory community work for long-term Bürgergeld recipients amid rising unemployment

Data from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, provided to the AfD, indicate that a sizable share of Bürgergeld recipients have been on the benefit for at least five years, with Berlin and Bremen showing the highest regional concentrations. AfD labor-policy figure René Springer argued that many could work and called for mandatory 15-hour weekly community service for anyone receiving the benefit for more than six months, with sanctions ranging from reduced benefits to a complete stop.

CSU’s Peter Aumer countered that the social system’s core promise is to provide assistance to those who need it. The governing coalition’s recent reform renamed the benefit and introduced stricter participation rules. Unemployment figures have slipped since 2023, and the number of long-term unemployed has risen again, exceeding one million in 2025 after a decline to 700,000 in 2019.

In September, 3.7 million people received basic security, down from the previous year, with a notable share of recipients being under 25 and a mix of German and foreign nationals. The IAB notes that low qualifications and health issues often hinder these individuals from entering the regular labor market.