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German job market rides out coronavirus spike

Germany's unemployment rate held steady in March at six percent for the third month in a row, the federal labour agency said Wednesday, despite a sharp surge in coronavirus infections.

Published: 31 March 2021 12:01 CEST

German job market rides out coronavirus spike

The job market has held steady in March in Germany. Photo: DPA

Seasonally adjusted data showed the number of unemployed declined by 8,000 in March after increasing last month for the first time since June.

In raw numbers, the number of people seeking work reached 2.83 million, 77,000 fewer than in February but nearly 500,000 more than in March 2020 due to the impact of the virus.

“There was a noticeable rebound in the job market in March despite the rise in (Covid-19) infections and the ongoing restrictions in certain economic sectors,” agency president Detlef Scheele said in a statement.

The number of people on short-time work arrangements (Kurzarbeit) has climbed since a stricter shutdown came into effect in Europe’s top economy in November, hitting 2.85 million in January, the last month for which complete data was available.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany’s Kurzarbeit job support scheme

In March, 197,000 employees joined the scheme, down from 500,000 in February.

Before the pandemic, Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was steady at around five percent.

Germany partially reopened schools and some businesses at the beginning of March this year after a dip in new infections but the third wave is now hitting the country hard.

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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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