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Job centre official: unemployed aren’t lazy

People on unemployment benefits are not as lazy as many of Germans think, an official at the Federal Employment Agency said on Monday. Over two-thirds of them would love to work - and not just for the money.

Job centre official: unemployed aren't lazy
Photo: DPA

Not everyone on the dole – known in Germany as Hartz IV – is lazy, Heinrich Alt told Die Welt newspaper.

“Most people feel receiving benefits long-term is degrading,” Alt, head of the Federal Employment Agency’s social security division, said. “They want to make a contribution and to be a role model for their families.”

His comments came just a week after the same paper ran an exposé of unemployed people who are unmotivated to find work and stay on benefits as a lifestyle choice.

But many Germans believe long-term unemployed people are not trying to get jobs. One poll by the Allensbach research institute showed over a third of Germans – 37 percent – believe those on Hartz IV benefits do not want to work, wrote the paper.

Yet a recent poll of Hartz IV-receivers by the Federal Employment Agency showed 30 percent already do some form of regular work. Either they are holding down a part-time mini-job, or are in training, completing job centre courses, or are looking after young children or ill family members full-time.

For three quarters of those on the benefits, “having work is the most important thing in life,” wrote the paper, and 80 percent said they would like to work even if they did not need the money.

While Alt admitted there were people who did not want to work, they were a minority of individual cases. “We’re talking about one-off cases here, a marginal fringe,” said Alt, adding that most people needed to work, not only for financial reasons.

“I meet people in job centres who say that sitting around is making them ill and who miss the feeling of being needed and are hoping so much for a bit of success,” Alt told the paper.

The Local/jlb

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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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