Annual Report of the Federal Government on the Status of German Unity in 2017 Publishing details Published by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie BMWi) Energy has been given the audit approval Public Relations berufundfamilie® for its family-friendly 11019 Berlin personnel policy. The certificate was issued www.bmwi.de by berufundfamilie gGmbH, an initiative of Editorial staff the Hertie Foundation. Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy VII D Task Force: Issues of the New Federal States Division VII D 1 Design and production PRpetuum GmbH, Munich Last updated August 2017 This and other brochures can be obtained from: Images Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, picture alliance/ZB/euroluftbild Public Relations Division This brochure is published as part of the public relations work E-Mail: [email protected] of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. www.bmwi.de It is distributed free of charge and is not intended for sale. Distribution at election events and party information stands To order brochures by phone: is prohibited, as is the inclusion in, printing on or attachment Tel.: +49 30 182722721 to information or promotional material. Fax: +49 30 18102722721 1 Annual Report of the Federal Government on the Status of German Unity in 2017 2 Content Part A........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .8 On the path to completing German unity .................................................................................................................................................................................................. .9 Social cohesion ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .9 Establishing equivalent standards of living ...................................................................................................................................................................................... .10 Major regional disparities................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ .11 Equal opportunities in all regions ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ .13 The foundations of regional economic promotion ................................................................................................................................................................... .13 Prospects for regional funding.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .15 Part B Report .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .17 I. Improving economic strength, completing social unity.................................................................................................................................................... .18 1. Economic development in eastern Germany . .18 2. Promoting investment, innovation and internationalisation ................................................................................................................................... .19 2.1. Promoting investment.............. ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............ ... ............ ............ ............ ............. ... ............ ... ............ ............ ................................................19 2.2. Start-ups ............ .............. .............. .............. ............ ............ ... ............ ... ............ ............ ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............ ... .......... ... ............ ............ ... ............ ............ ..20 2.3. Promoting innovation and research .. ............ ... ............ ............... ............ ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............. ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............ ............ .21 2.4. Internationalisation. ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............ ............... ............ ... ............ ............ ............ ... ............. ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............ ............. ............ .26 2.5. Business clusters............ ............... ............ ... ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............ ............ ............ ... ............ ... ............ ............. ............ ... ............ ............ ... ............ ... .... .26 2.6. Further activities . .27 3. Labour market and securing skilled workers .......................................................................................................................................................................... .28 3.1. Situation on the labour and training market in eastern Germany, employment development........................................ .28 3.2. Measures to integrate refugees into the labour market and to secure skilled labour................................................................. .32 4. Companies covered by collective bargaining, wage trends, pension provision ........................................................................................... .38 4.1. Collective bargaining coverage.............................................................................................................................................................................................. .38 4.2. Minimum wage .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. .39 4.3. Income situation of private households ........................................................................................................................................................................ .41 4.4. Pensions and pension alignment......................................................................................................................................................................................... .42 II. Performance of the eastern German federal states and municipalities, quality of life in urban and rural areas .............. .44 1. Performance of the federal states and municipalities...................................................................................................................................................... .44 1.1. Financial situation of the eastern federal states and municipalities........................................................................................................ .44 1.2. Restructuring of the financial relationships between Federal Government and the federal states ................................ .45 2. Infrastructures: energy, communications, transport........................................................................................................................................................ .46 2.1. Infrastructures as basis for economic growth............................................................................................................................................................ .46 2.2. Energy infrastructure . .46 2.3. Digital infrastructure..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .47 2.4. Transport infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. .47 3. Demography and urban and rural quality of life ................................................................................................................................................................. .49 3.1. Demographic parameters . .49 3.2. Family, living arrangements and children.................................................................................................................................................................... .52 3.3. Urban development and urban development assistance ................................................................................................................................. .54 INHALT 3 3.4. Housing market and rented accommodation market......................................................................................................................................... .56 3.5. Rural development.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................