According to calculations by the Institute of German Economy (IW), the public sector holds a massive reserve of labor capacity. The institute determined that if every part-time employee in the federal, state, and municipal administrations were converted to full-time positions, this would theoretically generate an additional workforce volume equivalent to 634,000 full-time staff. This information was reported by the newspaper “Bild,” citing a yet-to-be-published study.
For context, the German Civil Service Union currently estimates personnel shortages in the public sector at 631,000 employees. The IW clarified that the 634,000 figure represents the absolute upper limit if all part-time roles were modified to full-time. Even if states and municipalities only managed to reach the average working hours found in Saxony-Anhalt-the federal state with the highest average working hours in the public sector-there would still be 294,000 additional full-time equivalents available.
This theoretical potential is particularly significant in areas currently facing severe staffing shortages. Study author Björn Kauder noted that schools alone have a potential reserve of 153,000 full-time equivalents, followed by daycares (Kitas) with 54,400 and local administrations with 41,800. Other sectors hold reserves of 16,000 at universities and 10,800 within the police force.
When looking at absolute reserves by state, Bavaria shows the largest potential with a calculated 129,800 full-time equivalents. North Rhine-Westphalia ranks second with 115,100, closely followed by Baden-Württemberg, which has 111,300.
