Description

Germany’s New “Security Architecture”? Long-Term Unemployed and Rent-a-Cops

In January 2005, Germany’s Social Democratic-Green government introduced the Hartz Laws (Hartz IV). With this legislation, the long-term unemployed lost their insurance-based entitlements for unemployment benefits, which in turn were substituted by a fixed monthly amount of 359 euros and the requirement to work for 30 hours per week for an additional one euro per hour (workfare). In 2009, more than 670,000 long-term unemployed worked under the Hartz IV workfare legislation, of which around 10% were on duty in the fields of safety, order, and security. Besides the state police (270,000 officers) and rent-a-cops (180,000), a new security workforce has emerged and it is coordinated by nonprofit organizations. The article will discuss several consequences.

Germany’s Hartz Laws, long-term unemployed, workfare, security arrangements

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 38, Nos. 1-2 (2011-12): 146-164.