Expert: Social Reforms Will Save €10 Billion

Employers could save up to €10 billion ($12.3 billion) over the next two years thanks to social reforms being pushed though by Germany's ruling Social Democrat-Green collation, government consultant Bert Rürup told the Financial Times Deutschland Monday. Changes in health insurance laws could bring employers share of social contributions down 0.7 percent to 20.3 percent, resulting in savings of between €6 billion and €7 billion. Currently, employers and employees split the social contributions, which are 41.9 percent of an employee's gross salary.