Shortage of skilled workers | Creating in the paper labor market

People with non-German citizenship work primarily in logistics, the service industry, catering and the construction industry. There is still a shortage of skilled workers there. Photo: dpa/Matthias Bein "The future of the labor market clearly lies in immigration from third countries," says Thomas Friedrich, head of the International Division of the Federal Employment Agency, at a discussion by the German Center for Integration and Migration Research on international skilled workers on Wednesday. Within Europe, all countries are struggling to some extent with similar problems such as the shortage of skilled workers.

According to the Federal Employment Agency, there are currently just under three million unemployed people in Germany. Compared to September 2025, that is around 40,000 more unemployed people. However, this unemployment continues to coexist with a shortage of skilled workers in certain sectors. “Not every person who is looking for work looks for it in the entire market,” explains Niklas Harder from the Dezim Institute. Particularly high-paying industrial jobs are being eliminated; people with non-German citizenship are working primarily in logistics, the service sector, catering and the construction industry. “These positions are still important to fill,” says Harder.

However, some factors make this option unattractive, especially when it comes to staying long-term. Compared to other countries, it is relatively difficult to obtain citizenship; without it, immigrants have no right to vote. In addition, there are lower salaries than in other EU countries, complex language acquisition processes and complex bureaucracy. Immigrants also have a significantly higher rent burden. They often have to spend half of their income on housing and live on fewer square meters than people with German citizenship.

“If net salaries are lower, the compensation must be there in the security system,” says Harder, alluding to social security. A solution to the language problem would be, for example, part-time German courses. In Germany, languages ​​that are extremely common elsewhere, such as Spanish or French, are not common. At the same time, as in Scandinavia, not everyone in the country speaks English fluently. “But we can’t live solely on Austrians and Swiss,” says Harder.

No matter how well people speak German, if they don't have a certificate, they probably won't get the job. “Germany is a paper labor market,” states Harder. People are also only hired after completing training. Among other things, this prevents students from integrating into the job market. However, immigration will remain a significant factor in both the medium and long term, says Friedrich.

In general, the tolerance for training phases needs to be “increased,” says Rebecca Liebig from the federal board of the Verdi union. Even those new to the profession without an integration background ultimately do not start their professional careers as fully trained colleagues.

»The situation is currently developing in a difficult direction. Many who have been there for four to five years think that proper integration looks different. “They first have to think about whether they want to stay,” says Liebig. There is now another aspect: there is a lack of money in the countries to strengthen and protect integrative institutions. “I actually mean shooters literally when I think of Saxony-Anhalt,” says the trade unionist, referring to the shift to the right there.

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