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Labour Ministry to remove hurdles for some foreign workers

German Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday she plans to remove job market restrictions for foreign workers in those sectors desperately needing qualified workers, including engineers and doctors.

Published: 2 December 2010 10:46 CET

Labour Ministry to remove hurdles for some foreign workers

Photo: DPA

“I’m currently compiling a positive list of professions that will be considered for a limited suspension of the so-called priority check,” she told financial Handelsblatt, referring to immigration rule which gives preference to German workers.

According to current rules, employers are only allowed to hire foreign workers when they can prove that there are no Germans capable of doing the same job.

But this hurdle could be removed for electrical, mechanical and auto engineers, in addition to doctors, von der Leyen said.

The “positive list” would be transparent, she said.

“The companies and their foreign applicants would know exactly where they stood,” she told the paper.

The conservative minister said she planned to present the concept to the government coalition within the month, with the aim of changing the rule by the first quarter of 2011.

The German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) welcomed von der Leyen’s announcement.

“The minister is on the right track,” DIHK president Hans Heinrich told the paper.

“Until now companies have feared seeking qualified workers abroad because they shied away from the big bureaucratic hurdles.”

DAPD/ka

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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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