Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

EMPLOYMENT

Workers not as happy as they used to be

Germany's economy might be roaring away but Germans are less and less satisfied with their jobs, according to a study out Tuesday, which suggests low incomes and high pressure at work are to blame.

Published: 2 August 2011 16:21 CEST

Workers not as happy as they used to be

Photo: DPA

In the last 20 years or so, work satisfaction has dropped among all age groups, with those aged over 50 among the most dissatisfied, according to the study by the Institute for Work and Qualification (IAQ) at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

In 1984, the level of job satisfaction, measured on a scale of 0 to 10, stood at an average of 7.6 but in 2009 it had fallen to 6.8, the study said.

Workers aged over 50 were those most satisfied with their jobs in the early 1980s but are now the most dissatisfied of all age groups.

The study, conducted by looking at surveys over a number of years, suggested that growing pressure at work, fear of losing one’s job and a growing divide between pay raises and the country’s growth rate were all to blame for creeping dissatisfaction.

In another study comparing work satisfaction levels in 22 European countries in 2006, Denmark, Switzerland and Finland scored best with average figures of 7.8, 7.7, and 7.6 respectively, while Ukraine, Bulgaria and Russia came last with figures ranging between 6.3 and 6.1.

The average figure for all countries was 7.1, with Britain scoring only fractionally better than Germany.

AFP/mdm

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

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.

Url copied to clipboard!