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Metal and electrical industries expect 50,000 new jobs in 2011

Some 50,000 new jobs are expected to open up in Germany’s metal and electrical industries this year, the Gesamtmetall industrial employers’ association said in Berlin on Monday.

Published: 31 January 2011 13:23 CET

Metal and electrical industries expect 50,000 new jobs in 2011

Photo: DPA

Though some 200,000 jobs were lost during the global financial crisis, the two industries continue to recover, president Martin Kannegiesser said.

Between April and November of 2010, some 40,000 jobs were created, and production levels are projected to increase to levels not seen since mid-2008 by the year’s end, he said.

Economic conditions have also become favourable enough for a 2.7 percent metal industry wage increase to come two months ahead of schedule for about half of workers, Kannegiesser said. The salary increases negotiated with industry unions were initially planned for April 1, but many workers will see the extra compensation as early as February 1.

But some sectors are still taking advantage of Berlin’s Kurzarbeit (short work) scheme, through which subsidies allow workers to work shorter hours rather than being laid off.

Currently there are about 3.645 million workers in both industries, 5.7 percent fewer than the 3.645 million who were working during the boom year of 2008.

Meanwhile a new willingness for “careful dealings with one another” has developed among the core workforce as they face an impending skilled worker shortage due to demographic changes, Kannegiesser said.

DPA/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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