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Germany to see record ‘job boom’ in 2017: report

A new report predicts that this year Germany will see a record high in its working population to reach nearly 45 million people in a "job boom", as German media call it.

Published: 24 March 2017 14:54 CET

Germany to see record 'job boom' in 2017: report

The office of shopping portal Fab.Com - Everyday Design in Berlin. Photo: DPA.

The Institute for Employment Research (IAB) wrote in its report released on Friday that it predicts the working population to reach 44.3 million people this year, up by 670,000 people from last year.

The report also forecast that the number of unemployed people would drop to about 2.5 million people, or 160,000 fewer than the average in 2016. This would be the lowest level since 1990.

Spiegel Online called the prediction a “job boom” for Germany.

“This positive development would offset the extra amount of unemployment registrations from refugees,” said IAB research leader Enzo Weber in a press statement.

In particular, the report says that Germany will see more people working in the public sector, child care and education, and health services, with an increase of about 270,000 more people in these three fields total.

The one area where the report predicted a decrease was in financial branches, by 20,000 people. This was attributed to consolidation measures within the banking sector as well as the effect of increasing digitalization.

Including those who are unemployed but could get jobs, the potential workforce of the country is also set to be higher at 46.8 million – also a record high.

Immigration is a major reason behind this increased expectation, as well as increases in women and the elderly taking on jobs.

“The potential workforce in 2017 is not growing half as much as the actual working population. Available workers are getting scarcer,” Weber noted.

Companies are also holding onto their employees, with the risk of losing a job at its lowest level since German Reunification in 1990, the report observes.

The prognosis also expects Germany’s real GDP (gross domestic product) to grow by 1.4 percent. In 2016, GDP grew by 1.9 percent. This lower forecast is due in large part to the fact that 2017 has fewer working days – Germany has added, for example, an extra holiday this year in October to celebrate 500 years since Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation.

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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