Supply and demand for foreign skilled labour

Demand for skilled labour from abroad

It has long been recognised that Germany cannot always rely solely on its own skilled personnel or, in many cases, does not even have them available. The economy is becoming more globalised, companies are working on an international level and need specialists from abroad, especially in areas such as technology and IT. Let's take a look at the forecasts for demand and availability in the future.

How important are foreign skilled workers in the German economy?

In many Industries it is now completely normal to employ foreign specialists. The general shortage of skilled workers in Germany and advancing digitalisation are just some of the reasons that have led to the employment of foreign skilled workers. It is particularly important for internationally active companies to remain competitive and innovative. 

What are the forecasts for the demand for foreign skilled labour?

It is currently assumed that the use of foreign Specialists will continue to increase. There are areas where there is already a large gap between supply and demand. IT and technology are two of the areas where demand is high. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, Cybersecurity and cloud computing, this demand will increase even further Renewable energies, Mechanical engineering and environmental technology are areas that continue to grow. Demand remains high and the focus on the green energy transition and sustainability means that this demand will continue to grow.

In the Healthcare There seems to be no change in sight. Many German workers are not prepared to work for the low salaries on offer. As a result, demand will continue to increase as the population ages.

In the Construction and skilled trades never stand still. Employees are always in demand here and foreign skilled labour is very popular to compensate for the lack of German staff.

What factors influence the availability of foreign skilled labour?

It all depends on how politicians decide. Many countries have designed their immigration policies with skilled labour in mind. Germany makes it particularly easy for staff from abroad to work. 

It is important that other countries invest in the training and further education of their Labour force invest. This ensures that they always have enough skilled labour. It is important that the training is specialised and close to practice so that the specialists can also use their knowledge in their day-to-day work.

Countries that have a high unemployment rate often have skilled workers who would also like to work abroad. If the economy in the country of origin is good, employees are reluctant to change. In Germany, therefore, we can only hope that the economy in other countries remains poor so that skilled workers are also willing to work in Germany.

It is made very easy for foreign skilled workers to work in Germany. The bureaucratic hurdles are minimised as much as possible to make it attractive to choose Germany as a place to work.