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‘Record high’ number of vacant positions in Germany’s IT sector

Almost 315,000 workers in the STEM (sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics) sector are lacking in Germany, according to a study published by an economic research institute on Monday.

Published: 15 May 2018 12:23 CEST
‘Record high’ number of vacant positions in Germany’s IT sector
Fewer women than men are in Germany's STEM fields. Photo: HTW Berlin/Alexander Rentsch/DPA

The study, called the “MINT Spring Report 2018” and carried out by the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW), has found that nationwide the country lacks a significant amount of STEM workers.

At the end of April this year, 314,800 vacant positions in STEM industries were unfilled. This establishes a “record high” since data collection began in 2011, the IW states.

The current figure is moreover one third higher than the figure in April 2017 and twice as high as in early 2015.

“IT specialists in particular are desperately needed to shape digital change in companies,” the study states.

Browse thousands of English-language roles in Germany on The Local Jobs

Included in the study’s calculation are traineeships for technical professions and vacancies for academic occupations, technicians and engineers. The shortage is especially crucial for jobs in energy engineering, mechatronics and automation technology.

The issue can be addressed by making the IT industry more attractive and recruiting more specialists from abroad, according to the study.

After observing an increasing number of STEM students in Germany, as well as a decreasing number of trainees working in the technical fields, the IW researchers have called for vocational schools to be modernized in order to make training in technical sectors more attractive.

With regards to recruiting foreign professionals, IW expert Axel Plünnecke points out that the current situation has actually been alleviated by the recent arrival of many STEM specialists from countries outside of Germany.

Almost 16,400 employees across all four STEM areas came from Eritrea, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria in the third quarter of 2017, according to the study. This was a notable increase from a year earlier, when 8,000 workers from those four countries in technical professions were calculated in Germany.

The IW study was conducted on behalf of the German Employers’ Federation (BDA), the German Employees Association (BDI) and the Gesamtmetall industry employers’ group.

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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.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
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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