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JOBS

Revved up German jobs motor only idling in some areas

The German jobs motor is turbo-charged these days but stark regional differences point up the potential and pitfalls in Europe's biggest economy.

Revved up German jobs motor only idling in some areas
Workers at a solar glass factory in Brandenburg. Photo: DPA

The town of Neubrandenburg, a two-hour drive north of Berlin in the former communist east, had an unemployment rate of 13.8 percent in November according to figures published this week, twice as high as the national average.

But Heiko Mirass, head of the local labour agency office, insists: “The time of mass unemployment (of more than 20 percent) is behind us.”

However the lower jobless rate in this city of 70,000, where a handful of medieval buildings stand in the shadows of rundown housing blocks, is not the product of a recovery but rather of its ageing and shrinking population.

In the 20 years since national reunification, the city has lost one-third of its citizens due to a falling birth-rate and an exodus to the west in search of jobs.

Many of those who remain are no longer of working age and thus no longer counted as unemployed.

There is little sign of the “jobs miracle” frequently evoked by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government in this notch of the East German rust belt.

More than one-third of those without work are over the age of 50 and more than one-quarter are long-term unemployed.

“We are witnessing a certain fossilisation of unemployment,” with little mobility for those trapped in joblessness, Mirass said.

Nearly 700 kilometres to the south, the wealthy Munich suburb Freising seems a world away with more demand for labour than available employees.

The jobless rate was 2.3 percent in November, the lowest in the country. It has held that title for more than a decade, said Karin Weber, Mirass’ counterpart in Freising.

She said Freising’s proximity to the international airport, Munich and the city of Ingolstadt, home of automaker Audi, as well as a network of booming small- and medium-sized companies kept the want-ad pages full.

Anyone who is registered as unemployed is truly “between jobs,” says Weber. Last month 1,500 people went on the dole while 1,800 found employment.

The labour market now looks stronger than before the economic crisis, which sparked Germany’s worst post-war recession with a contraction of nearly five percent last year.

“But that does not mean we have nothing to do,” said Michael Schmidt, operations director at the labour agency.

Challenges include getting older and handicapped workers into viable employment but Schmidt said it was possible that the jobless rate could sink even lower than 2.3 percent.

In Neubrandenburg, the labour agency does what it can to get older Germans working again.

At the training centre, seated in front of a blackboard, Elke Rödel scribbles in her notebook.

At 49, she aims to become a caregiver for the elderly. “It is difficult going back to school,” she sighs, confiding that her “dream” would be a permanent work contract.

Jens Junghaeel, out of work since March, has a better chance of getting back into the labour market than Rödel.

Wearing a blue shirt and a focused expression, the young man types away at a computer in his machine-tools programming class.

“I have worked for nine years, with interruptions. But always in the west. What I want is to work here,” he said.

In the area, the unemployment rate among 15 to 25 year olds has fallen steadily and is now at about 10 percent — ” a figure they could dream about in Spain,” Mirass said, where the jobless rate is hovering around 20 percent.

AFP/hc

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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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