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Over 35,000 unfilled vacancies for carers of the old and sick in Germany

There are at least 35,000 vacant positions for caregivers nationwide, according to new report by the German government.

Published: 25 April 2018 14:03 CEST

Over 35,000 unfilled vacancies for carers of the old and sick in Germany

A nurse in Nuremberg. Photo: DPA

More than 25,000 specialists in nursing care for the elderly and the sick are currently being sought throughout the country.

A further 10,000 caregiver vacancies also need to be filled, based on information by the German government recently submitted to the German Press Agency (DPA) in response to an inquiry from the Green party.

An average of 14,785 open positions for carers of the elderly and 10,814 job vacancies for carers of the sick were registered in 2017.

“We are facing a real crisis in the care sector,” said leader of the Green party Katrin Göring-Eckardt.

An extensive programme with 25,000 additional caregivers for the sick and the old is needed “as quickly as possible to relieve the personnel situation,” Göring-Eckardt added.

The shortage of qualified staff also varies from state to state, the report outlines.

For every 100 vacancies for caregivers assisting with the elderly in Berlin, there are 43 unemployed skilled workers. This number is 34 in North Rhine-Westphalia, 14 in both Bavaria and Thuringia, and 13 in both Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony. The national average is 21.

When it comes to nursing care, there are 81 unemployed skilled workers for every 100 vacancies in Berlin, 74 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and 29 in Baden-Württemberg. The nationwide average is 41.

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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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