Germany Seeks Work Force

This dinner could have been a nice dinner. I had a desk reserved for him,” says the restaurant owner, “but unfortunately I had no one to cook”. This story sounds like a joke, but it's actually serious. In Germany, cooks are missing, kitchen helpers and service forces. And the lack of a job force does more than gastronomy.

Trains are gone because there are no trains. At airports, suitcases are collected above each other because there is no one to handle dismissal. At safety checkpoints, travelers vent the nerves raised when they lose their flight because of long lines of waiting, children's gardens refuse child acceptance because educators are lacking.

Lack of 148 Professionals 

In a survey conducted by the German Chamber of Industry and Trade, which represents the interests of millions of companies from industry, trade and services, 56 per cent of companies complain about the lack of workers and regard this absence as one of the biggest dangers to business.

The Federal Labour Agency has currently listed a lack of workforce in 148 professions. 122 other professions are under surveillance. Eight months last on average until an elderly host finds a health care worker. Construction firms should count on six months of waiting until they can find a construction worker. Throughout Germany, 1.7 million jobs have been announced.

Not Just Specialized Forces Missing  

To sell our services we've distributed five to ten years in a row. Today we make ads on all types of media to earn new employees”, says Marcus Winter, director of the utility company, IDS, Baden-Wyrmberg. The firm has 750 employees and requires personnel in more than 20 professions, starting with brava technicians, painters, loading workers, assembly workers and drivers for supply of drinks.

“We no longer have a problem with specialised forces, but a general problem with the workforce”, says Winter. Even working places for employees without job experience don't fight. “These are sectors that are really relevant to industry, without them it doesn't work. ”

People Born in the Time of Many Births Soon Retire

This absence is not surprising. “We are now in a relatively dramatic situation, which we have actually made long-term forecasts,” says Herbert Brücker, professor at the Institute for the Study of Labour Market and Professionals in Nirneberg. Demographic changes are beginning to feel. Germany loses about 350,000 people in working age each year. As people born in high birth years begin retirement. Experts like Brücker's work estimate that by 2035, the job market will be available to about seven million people less.

This is not a minor lack, but it is a great lack. First of all, because neither the labour force in the country nor the arrival of workers from the European Union can be met.

According to labour market researchers, Brücker, the number of migrants from EU countries is steadily declining. Income “is increasing in other EU countries, which are also affected by demographic changes.” The potential of young people willing to migrate is constantly declining in the EU. The party is basically over, so to speak. ”

Disappointing the Law on Migrating Special Forces  

To resolve the issue of the current job market shortages, 400 thousand migrants must come to Germany each year to stay. They must be people from so-called third countries outside the European Union. Since 2012, academic forces have been able to come to Germany through the EU Blue Charter. In addition, in 2020 the law on migration of specialised forces (FEG), which involved non-academ professions, entered into force. But he did not have the expected effect, and this was not only because small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany often find it difficult to obtain specialised foreign forces. In 2020, 30 thousand specialised forces arrived in Germany from other countries, while 20,000 people left Germany. Work market researcher Brücker talks about “August”.

The German government seeks to reform the law and present the first points of change in September. This includes opening the job market to specialized forces that have a business contract but do not have a professional degree in Germany. That was recently announced by Interior Minister Nancy Fyser and Labour Minister Hubert Hale. Professional diplomacy can also be obtained later with the help of German employers.
 
Workplace Specialization 

With such a proposal, the doors of the economy are opened. The law still requires equivalence with German qualifications. “The state today controls whether anyone is fit for us as a company,” says Winter showing what the problem is. “

Winter notes now to customers from the industry that they take their jobs with unqualified labor powers. I estimate that almost 20 per cent are not specialized power, but are workers who teach the profession.” Even in the construction of machinery, it is possible to specialize the working force “with high qualifications and very specific” for certain jobs through the courses and career creation within the company.

Nearly all countries of the world have different professional schooling systems from that of Germany,” is said in the German Chamber of Industry and Trade. This organisation hopes that reform of the migration law will also facilitate law enforcement. “This begins with the visa - giving process, during which documents are sent from one end of the world to the other, and ends with employees of authorities who do not apply complex rules uniquely and transparently. ”

Doubts for Employers  

What that means in practice is well known to lawyer Bettina Offer, who advises companies that want to take on foreign labor forces. Even with labour contracts in your pocket, it is difficult to get a meeting at the German Embassy to apply for obtaining a visa, and the application process may take months. I've met officials from time to time, instead of realizing that my employer is looking for a job force they generally suspect that he wants to smuggle foreigners into Germany. ”

The Offer speaks of a <x0 defense position that has the deep roots of” of German authorities in the foreign office. “I have always the problem that I have to fight this kind of attitude, which doesn't originate only with the protection attitude against asylumrs, where officials say the good “is the foreigner who doesn't stay in Germany”, and that's not true at all. We have to change our thinking. Every worker who comes to us is a benefit to the country. ”

Elevators More Likely to Work

Entrepreneur Marcus Winter also hopes that migration law changes will be made. The obstacles to asylum seekers seeking to work are huge. Winter has received nearly 300 asylumers at work since 2016 and has been overseeing them. From my experience, I can say that it's not simple and two-thirds of the people didn't come to us that at the first attempt. ”

But despite the language problems and the integration of new employees, there is great potential among asylum seekers. I can understand politically that with asylum law it cannot become a secret migration policy. But even here, changes must be made.” / DW