BERLIN, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The ranks of the so-called "working poor" are growing rapidly in Germany, a report published on Wednesday by the country's National Poverty Conference (nak) warns.
According to nak, the share of working poor among the German employed population has more than doubled to 9.6 percent between 2004 and 2014. "Precarious employment creates insecurity, leads to old age poverty and hinders life planning," nak spokesperson Barbara Eschen said during the presentation of the findings in Berlin.
The closely-watched nak report is published each year on the International Day for the Elimination of Poverty which was first established by the United Nations (UN) general assembly on Oct. 17, 1992.
Nak is an umbrella organization for a number of German charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and forms part of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN).
The 2018 document emphasized that poverty remained a reality for many Germans in spite of strong growth rates and labor market boom witnessed in the Eurozone's largest economy during recent years.
According to Eschen, residents affected by poverty had social rights and referred specifically to the UN's International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which enshrines the right to an adequate standard of living among others.
"Poverty in Germany has a human rights dimension. Fighting it is a duty rather than an act of charity," she said.
On Tuesday, the UN social committee tasked with monitoring the multilateral treaty published its latest corresponding recommendations to the federal government in Germany. For Eschen, it was evident that "a lot remained to be done" for German policymakers in the context of eliminating national poverty.
Erika Biehn, a representative of individuals affected by poverty working for nak, further highlighted on Wednesday that 7.5 million Germans are working in so-called "mini jobs" which did little to improve their material fortunes. Biehn described these positions as "professional cul-de-sacs with a lack of perspectives, low incomes and often poor working conditions." This was particularly the case for women who account for a disproportionate share of mini-job holders in Germany.
As a consequence, the nak urged the federal government to prioritize the provision of more desirable forms of work. Rather than promoting "employment at any cost", policymakers would be better advised to focus on getting citizens into rewarding socially-insured professions.
Werena Rosenke, a spokesperson for nak, further drew attention to a lack of affordable housing in most German cities. The situation was increasingly problematic for diverse categories of low-income households, including homeless people, single parents, students and refugees, as well as less affluent pensioners.
Nak called on Berlin to adopt a two-pronged approach to the issue, strengthening social housing initiatives on the one hand and guaranteeing that welfare benefits remained sufficient to cover housing costs on the other.
