Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

JOBS

Germany predicts record number of jobs

Germany said on Wednesday its robust economy would fuel record employment this year and next as well as boost consumer spending and industrial investment.

Published: 23 October 2013 12:32 CEST

Germany predicts record number of jobs

Photo:DPA

Unemployment is set to hit 6.9 percent this year and fall to 6.8 percent in 2014 – far below the 12 percent reported by the crisis-hit eurozone, according to the German Economy Ministry’s autumn forecast.

The report said that the economy would add 235,000 jobs this year

and another 180,000 next year.

“The German economy is again on a stable course for growth,” outgoing Economy Minister Philipp Rösler told reporters.

“The foundations of this growth are economic forces at home: the mood of German companies is good, they are again investing more in equipment and construction. Employment and income are growing significantly and bolstering private consumption,” he said.

Disposable income for German households is due to jump 2.1 percent and 2.9 percent in 2014, which Rösler said was expected to spur consumer spending.

The economy ministry predicts Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will expand 0.5 percent this year and 1.7 percent next year, confirming reports from sources on Tuesday and underlining the rude health of Europe’s top economic power.

Rösler is due to be replaced following a general election last month that saw his Free Democrats ousted from parliament for the first time since their founding after World War Two.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats joined the second biggest German party, the Social Democrats, for the formal start of coalition negotiations Wednesday, which they hope to wrap up by Christmas.

READ MORE: Dairy prices up by 32 percent in a year

AFP/kkf

Follow us on Twitter @thelocalgermany

Like The Local Germany on Facebook

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!