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Experts predict 215,000 lost jobs next year

The global financial crisis could mean up to 215,000 lost jobs in the next year for Germany according to an industry study released by daily Bild on Friday.

Published: 21 November 2008 09:00 CET

Experts predict 215,000 lost jobs next year

Take a number at the unemployment office, dears. Photo: DPA

The paper polled unions, associations and economy experts from 15 industry branches for the job loss estimate.

Experts in the auto industry predicted a loss of between 50,000 and 100,000 jobs as the crisis hits home. Meanwhile workers in the transport industry could see the loss of some 40,000 jobs, the paper reported.

Construction, tourism, banking, electronics, chemical, tourism, telecommunication, aviation and the public sector can also expect to see colleagues sacked in 2009, experts told the paper.

Among the industries that predicted job stability in the deteriorating world economy were machinery and industrial equipment manufacturers. Representative organization VDMA predicted posts would remain at some 975,000.

Health industry experts also predicted a stable job market.

The Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) announced last week that Europe’s largest economy had officially fallen into a recession as the country suffered slowing economic activity, a slump in domestic consumption and declining exports in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Corporate investment has suffered as well from a sharp decline in the business outlook.

In October, German business confidence hit its lowest point in more than five years, a widely watched survey by the Ifo research institute showed. Industrial orders, a key leading indicator, plunged in September by eight percent, the steepest drop since Germany was reunited in 1990.

Berlin has slashed its forecast for 2009 growth to just 0.2 percent and last week a panel of experts advising the government said it expects growth to come to a standstill next year.

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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