NAIRAMETRICS
Key highlights
- Employers in Germany have been unable to fill approximately 630,000 job vacancies in their industries
- A major issue with finding skilled workers is that Germany has seen a significant drop in the number of young people choosing apprenticeships or other vocational training.
- To further strengthen its skilled worker immigration, the Interior Ministry set out plans for looser immigration rules for skilled workers, more attractive conditions for students and Blue Card holders, and a new points-based system for potential jobseekers coming into place by this summer
Germany sets out plans to loosen immigration rules for skilled workers, students, and Blue Card holders.
According to a new report released by the Institute of German Economy, the skills gap in Germany widened last year with employers being unable to fill approximately 630,000 job vacancies in their industries, due to the relatively slow economic recovery.
The report found a strong positive correlation between the level of skill required for a job and the difficulty in finding someone.
Why Germany is struggling to find skilled workers
A major issue with finding skilled workers is that Germany has seen a significant drop in the number of young people choosing apprenticeships or other vocational training.
Experts believe that this is due in part to the lack of training and networking opportunities during the pandemic. This is likely to have exacerbated Germany’s long-standing lack of interest in apprenticeships.
However, according to figures released earlier this week by the Federal Statistics Office, there are now currently approximately 1.25 million apprentices in Germany.
