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‘Don’t get cocky,’ IMF head warns Germany

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, warned Germany on Friday not to get overconfident about its stellar rebound, saying he doubted the economy could continue to grow so strongly.

Published: 1 October 2010 15:24 CEST

'Don't get cocky,' IMF head warns Germany

Photo: DPA

“I think it would be a bit early to talk of a ‘wonder,’” the French economist told business daily Handelsblatt. “The second quarter was indeed very good. But we don’t yet know whether that is the beginning of a new growth model for Germany – which I doubt – or just a kind of ‘calendar effect.’

“As soon as the figures for the next quarter are known, that’ll be more clear. But certainly 2010 is becoming a good year. Only we don’t even have much reason to expect that 2011 will be just as good.

Germany must keep in mind that three quarters of its exports went to the eurozone, he said.

“And we have a weak eurozone, thus you cannot export more,” he added.

Talk for most of this year has revolved around the perceived wonder of Germany’s strong economic recovery after the financial crisis and the global recession. While most comparable countries are still struggling, Germany has bounced back well.

This week, figures showed that German consumer and business confidence were at three-year highs, prompting Chancellor Angela Merkel to forecast that unemployment could fall below the all-important psychological barrier of three million soon.

Germany’s economy posted strong growth in the first half of 2010, and while the pace has eased since then, is still on track for a full-year expansion of around 3.0 percent, economists and the central bank have said.

The Local/dw

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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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