Inflation eats up income: Due to rapidly rising prices, households in the region (Emmendingen district around 73.4 million euros; Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district around 115.7 million euros; in Freiburg around 112.6 million euros; Ortenaukreis around 189.3 million euros; Lörrach district around 106.2 million euros; Schwarzwald-Baar district exactly 99.8 million euros; Waldshut district exactly 77.9 million euros) lost purchasing power – provided that the previous rate of inflation does not continue to rise. When it comes to food alone, consumers have to face additional expenditure (Emmendingen district 34.1 million euros; Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district 54 million euros; Freiburg 51.5 million euros; Ortenau district 88.1 million euros; Lörrach district 48.9 million euros; Black Forest -Baar district 46.3 million euros; Waldshut district 36.3 million euros). This is announced by the food, pleasure and restaurants union. The NGG relies on a regional purchasing power analysis by the Pestel Institute (Hanover).
According to this, people with a small wallet are particularly affected: in households (26,000 in the Emmendingen district, 42,400 in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, 53,900 in Freiburg, 68,100 in the Ortenau district, 40,400 in the Lörrach district, 39,100 in the Schwarzwald-Baar district, 29,700 in the Waldshut district ), in which single parents and single people live with a monthly net income of less than 2,000 euros, the projected loss of purchasing power – from heating to shopping in the supermarket – will amount to hundreds of millions of euros by the end of the year (Emmendingen district 16.3 million euros; Breisgau district Upper Black Forest 26.4 million euros; Freiburg 34.5 million euros; Ortenaukreis 42.6 million euros; Lörrach district 25.6 million euros; Schwarzwald-Baar district 24.5 million euros; Waldshut district 18.5 million euros).
NGG regional manager Claus-Peter Wolf speaks of “alarming numbers”. The price increases threaten social upheaval if politicians do not counteract this with further, targeted relief. “From the waiter to the bakery saleswoman – employees who are not top earners currently have to turn over every cent twice. If you have to see how you can get by until the end of the month anyway, the current additional expenses are having an enormous impact,” says Wolf. According to the Pestel Institute, the increased food prices are a particular driver of inflation: In the first half of the year, the average household in the region has to bear an additional burden of 38 euros a month for food alone. The additional expenses for energy amount to 34 euros per month, mobility has increased by nine euros.
According to the NGG, price jumps in supermarkets “are particularly hard on those people who work with food themselves – whether in restaurants, breweries or bakery factories”. The union had succeeded this year in achieving substantial wage increases in the hospitality industry, for example. However, inflation threatens to wipe them out. “What we need now is special help for low-income workers. But also for pensioners, students and job seekers. The current relief packages from the federal government are not sufficient. The traffic light has to be quicker,” demands Wolf.
The managing director of the NGG region Schwarzwald-Hochrhein is in favor of an “energy price cap” to protect private households from skyrocketing costs for gas and electricity. All relief must be socially balanced. Wolf: “Strong shoulders can carry more than weak ones. It would therefore also be logical for the rich to have a greater share in financing the burden of the crisis – for example through a one-off wealth levy.”
(Press release: Food, pleasure and restaurants trade union, Black Forest-Hochrhein region, July 28, 2022)
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