Germany is preparing to recruit a large number of workers in Morocco and a dozen other countries. Various profiles are sought.
Some two million jobs are currently vacant in Germany. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, this shortage of skilled workers is not widespread and affects 352 out of 801 job categories. Last year, there were 845,000 vacancies, which is 139,000 fewer than in 2021, according to the Federal Employment Agency.
The German government launched this massive recruitment drive to make up for the shortfall in the working population, caused by the drastic drop in the birth rate since the 1990s, and the massive retirements in sight (nearly 7 million future retirees by 2035). According to projections by the federal Ministry of economics, the working population (20-65 years old) is expected to fall by 3.9 million by 2030 and by 10.2 million by 2060, requiring the recruitment of an estimated 240,000 people by 2026.
The Federal Employment Agency estimates that the country needs 400,000 new immigrant workers per year to meet the demand for skilled labor. Since 2020, skilled workers from outside the EU have been able to use the EU Blue Card to come and work in Germany, a way for the German government to promote labor immigration.
According to official data, the sectors most affected are the medical and social sector, the education sector, the craft industry (especially energy renovation), IT, catering and the hotel industry, which has been hard hit by the health crisis. For this announced massive recruitment, one-stop shops will be set up to facilitate travel formalities and installation once on site. The operation will cost the German government 150 million euros.
