The state and social partners working together: Germany's response to the global financial and economic

This study examines the role of social dialogue and collective bargaining in facilitating the so-called “jobs miracle” in Germany, which saw a drop in unemployment during the peak years of the economic and financial crisis. This was made possible through a combination of flexible use of collective bargaining and extensive labour market reforms to introduce more flexible forms of employment in the 2000s. In the absence of a formal structure for national tripartite social dialogue, the social partners were able to avail of “crisis summits” to stimulate dialogue on measures to stabilize the economy at the height of the crisis. These summits brought together representatives of government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, as well as of financial institutions, to agree on measures aimed at sustaining consumption and safeguarding employment.