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Unemployment to keep falling in 2012

The number of people out of work in Germany will continue to fall this year, even if not so sharply as in the past two years, the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) forecast on Thursday.

Published: 22 March 2012 12:51 CET

Unemployment to keep falling in 2012

Photo: DPA

The annual average jobless total will stand at 2.84 million in 2012, a decrease of 130,000 from 2011, the think-tank said in a new study.

“In the past two years, the development on the labour market has been excellent,” said the head of IAB’s forecasting department, Enzo Weber.

“This year, the ascent won’t be quite so steep. Nevertheless, the labour market will remain robust and again there will be more people in work than last year,” Weber predicted.

Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has fared much better than its eurozone partners in the current crisis, even if it has not been able to escape its effects completely.

In final quarter of last year, gross domestic product contracted by 0.2 percent.

“The environment is therefore fundamentally difficult,” Weber said.

“However, indicators suggest that the situation will improve, even if the momentum for the labour market this year will be diminished.”

Looking for an English-speaking job in Germany? Visit The Local’s Job Section

IAB was basing its forecast on the assumption that the German economy would grow by 1.1 percent this year, which is more optimistic than many.

The government itself is officially pencilling in 2012 growth of 0.7 percent, even if finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble has said that was a “cautious” forecast.

This week, the economic research institute RWI revised upwards its growth forecast for Germany to 1.0 percent from 0.6 percent previously.

Last week, a panel of top economic experts, known as the “Five Wise Men” also predicted that unemployment, currently at record monthly lows, would continue to decline in 2012, with the annual average jobless total set to fall to 2.863 million from 2.976 million in 2011 and the jobless rate would fall to 6.7 percent from 7.1 percent.

AFP/jcw

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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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