Inflation strongly felt
Majority demands significant wage increase
4/21/2022, 4:39 p.m
Everything gets more expensive. It doesn’t matter whether it’s shopping, heating or filling up – inflation makes itself felt in people’s wallets. Many are therefore already trying to limit their consumption. Most consider a wage increase to be necessary – even if they fear the consequences.
The prices for energy and fuel, but also for many foods, have recently risen significantly. Two-thirds of Germans state in the RTL/ntv trend barometer that they personally already feel the inflation very strongly (20 percent) or strongly (48 percent). In contrast, only a third of those surveyed felt inflation less strongly (30 percent) or not at all (2 percent).
The income of the respondents plays an important role – people with a monthly net household income of less than 4,000 euros say much more often than respondents with a higher income that inflation is being felt strongly or very strongly.
37 percent of citizens have already tried to react to the increased prices and spend less money when shopping. Far more of those surveyed (62 percent) tried to limit their energy consumption (heating, electricity) and when filling up with petrol and diesel (72 percent). This mainly affects people with a monthly net household income of less than 2,500 euros – they have tried to spend less money on food and energy more often than average.
69 percent fear a wage-price spiral
In order to cushion the rise in prices, more than half of those surveyed (53 percent) are calling for a significant wage increase. 40 percent are of the opinion that this should be done through political measures, for example through the relief packages that the federal government has already decided on.
When asked what average wage increase they would find reasonable, only 6 percent said they would find a wage increase of less than 3 percent reasonable. Even fewer (four percent) spoke out against a wage increase in general. At 41 percent, the majority considers an increase of three to under five percent to be appropriate. Thirty-two percent were in favor of a wage increase of five to under ten percent, and one in ten supported an increase of at least ten percent.
However, the majority fears the possible consequences of significant wage increases. 69 percent of those surveyed assume that this would lead to even higher prices and that a wage-price spiral would be set in motion. Only 24 percent do not fear this effect.
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute Forsa on behalf of RTL Germany from March 19 to 20, 2022. Database: 1004 respondents. Statistical error tolerance: +/-3 percentage points.