Clement Gives €400 Million to Job Centers

German Economics and Labor Minister Wolfgang Clement has given out the first €400 million ($484 million) of the €1 billion the government plans to spend introducing its Hartz IV labor and social reforms to job centers across the country, the Bild newspaper reported Tuesday. Part of a deal made last week between the ministry and the Federal Labor Agency, the money will help job centers prepare for the reforms by adding case managers to manage the extra work load. The centers estimate that they will need an extra 13,700 employees.