Employee Survey in Commerce by ver.di Reveals: Unfavorable Working Conditions and Low Wages Driving Away Workers - Digitalization More of a Burden Than a Relief
In a comprehensive survey conducted by the United Services Trade Union (ver.di), 11,732 employees in retail, wholesale, and external trade shared their concerns about their working conditions. The results suggest a significant dissatisfaction among retail workers regarding their wages, future pension, workload, health, job satisfaction, and digitalization.
The survey, which was conducted online by ver.di, "uzbonn - Gesellschaft für empirische Sozialforschung und Evaluation", and the consulting firm for works and personnel councils "TBS NRW" from late April to late June 2025, revealed that 78% of retail employees cannot imagine continuing their job until retirement without restrictions due to high stress. This finding was mirrored by the fact that 67% of retail employees feel significantly or very significantly health-impaired by their work.
The digitalization of the retail sector seems to have both positive and negative impacts. While 63% of retail employees find digitalization to play a large or very large role in their work, 49% of them feel that digitalization has increased their workload instead of relieving them.
Financial concerns also loom large for retail workers. For 52% of retail employees, their monthly wage is barely enough, and for 19%, it's not enough at all. Moreover, 79% of retail employees consider their wages, given their performance, to be insufficient or inadequate. A worrying 68% of retail employees believe that their future pension will not be sufficient for living.
The survey also highlighted issues of condescending treatment. 46% of retail employees complain about such treatment, with 51% experiencing this from customers and 47% from superiors.
The survey results also named companies or enterprises as employers, including Charité Facility Management (CFM) and ELBLANDKLINIKEN. CFM, which was involved in a successful wage agreement after a prolonged strike, and ELBLANDKLINIKEN, a major hospital group in Saxony with various medical and service entities, were among the named employers.
In light of these findings, it's not surprising that 62% of retail employees would like to change jobs. The survey results underscore the need for retail employers to address the concerns of their employees and create a more conducive work environment.
