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More than one in seven Germans on poverty line

Official figures released on Tuesday showed nearly 15 percent of Germans were languishing near the poverty line in 2008, as a separate study said the country's long-term unemployed had a poor chance of having a normal work life.

More than one in seven Germans on poverty line
Photo: DPA

The unemployed and families headed by single parents were most at risk of poverty, the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden announced.

But there was a clear difference across Germany’s 16 states. Nearly one in four people in the northern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were in danger of being impoverished, as were more than one in five people in the city-state of Bremen.

But in the wealthier southern states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, the figures were just 10.2 percent and 10.8 percent respectively.

There was also a clear east-west divide, with 19.5 percent of people in the former communist eastern states at risk of poverty compared with 13.1 percent in the west.

People at risk of poverty were defined as those getting by on less than 60 percent of the average income in Germany.

A separate study found that, five years after the introduction of the so-called Hartz IV system of unemployment payments, people receiving the long-term benefit have a poor chance of ever having a normal working life.

“Getting out of Hartz IV still happens relatively rarely,” wrote the Nuremberg Institute for Employment Research (IAB).

The system, under which unemployment and social welfare were amalgamated, effectively slashing the benefits available to the unemployed, came in on January 1, 2005.

About three quarters of people receiving long-term unemployment benefits stayed on them for at least 12 months. Of those who managed to get off them, about half found a new job, about 14 percent moved into study. Another 6 percent went onto a pension and 6 percent became house wives or house husbands.

Others went off the benefit to be supported by a partner.

The progress of the Hartz IV reforms has been monitored by the IAB, which is the research institute for the Federal Employment Agency.

IAB director Joachim Möller spoke of a “cautiously positive Hartz IV assessment.”

In general, the goals of the employment reform had been reached. However, there was still a problem with support and supervision of the long-term unemployed, he said.

Investigations by his institute showed that the funding for people affected was often not properly targeted.

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

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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