Germany changing laws to attract migrant labor | DW News

Summary

Germany's aging population and declining birth rates are driving the country to seek skilled immigrants to fill job vacancies. Many migrants, like software programmer Ashe from India, face language barriers but find Germany attractive due to better quality of life and work-life balance. Companies are increasingly looking abroad for talent, yet bureaucracy and recognition of foreign qualifications pose challenges. Despite these hurdles, the German government is implementing new laws to simplify the hiring process for foreign workers, amid rising support for far-right parties that are skeptical of immigration. The debate on immigration's role in the economy continues as businesses grapple with workforce shortages.

Takeaways

• 😀 Germany is facing a labor shortage due to an aging population and low birth rates, leading to increased immigration for job vacancies.
• 🌍 In the past year, 350,000 individuals from non-EU countries registered in Germany to seek work.
• 💻 The number of qualified migrants in Germany is on the rise, with many drawn by better job opportunities.
• 🗣️ Language remains a significant barrier for immigrants, as expressed by Ashe Ma, a software programmer from India.
• 🏙️ Many immigrants find Germany attractive due to a better quality of life compared to their home countries.
• 👷 Businesses are struggling to find local talent and are increasingly relying on foreign workers to fill positions.
• 📋 Bureaucratic challenges exist for foreign workers, particularly regarding the recognition of their qualifications.
• 👶 As 4 million people are expected to retire in the next decade, Germany will need hundreds of thousands of new skilled workers.
• ⚖️ Recent laws in Berlin aim to simplify the hiring process for foreign workers but face regulatory hurdles.
• 👥 Rising far-right sentiments regarding immigration may pose challenges for the integration of foreign workers into the German labor market.

Q & A

What demographic challenge is Germany facing?

Germany is facing an aging population and a shrinking birth rate, leading to a shortage of workers.

How many people from non-EU countries registered in Germany seeking work at the end of last year?

At the end of last year, 350,000 people from non-EU countries were registered in Germany seeking work.

What is the main barrier for migrants like Ashe ma when adapting to Germany?

The main barrier for migrants is the German language, which can be challenging to learn.

What advice does Ashe ma give to others regarding communication in Germany?

Ashe ma advises that it's up to individuals to decide how they want to communicate in Germany, emphasizing that people are willing to help.

What is the significance of the recruiter mentioned in the transcript?

The recruiter helps businesses in Germany find qualified foreign workers, addressing the gap in available local talent.

Why is it difficult for businesses to hire foreign workers in Germany?

Hiring foreign workers is difficult due to bureaucratic hurdles, such as the need for foreign qualifications to match German standards.

What impact does part-time work have on the German workforce?

An increasing number of people in Germany are choosing part-time work, which has contributed to a reduction in overall working hours.

How is the German government responding to the need for foreign talent?

The German government has passed a new law to make it easier to hire foreign workers, though challenges remain due to a highly regulated job market.

What potential issues does the rise of the far-right party, AFD, present for foreign workers in Germany?

The rise of the AFD presents challenges for foreign workers, as the party is skeptical or hostile towards overseas talent, which may influence government policies.

What is the outlook for Germany's need for skilled workers in the future?

Germany will need hundreds of thousands of new skilled workers in the coming years, especially as 4 million people are expected to retire in the next decade.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Germany's Labor Shortage and Immigration Solutions

Germany is facing a labor shortage due to its aging population and low birth rates, prompting a reliance on immigration to fill job vacancies. By the end of last year, around 350,000 individuals from non-EU countries were registered to work in Germany, with an increasing number of qualified migrants. Software programmer Ashe Ma, who moved from India, cites language barriers as a significant challenge, noting the difficulty of learning German. His experience reflects the broader trend of foreign specialists, like mechanical engineer Ch May, who helps find Indian professionals for German companies, revealing the lucrative market for skilled immigrants. Employers, like textile business owner Deepar Dex, express the need for foreign workers to meet rising demand, as local young workers are scarce. Despite attempts to bring workers like Rafik from Armenia, bureaucratic hurdles hinder the process. With four million people expected to retire in the next decade, Germany urgently needs skilled labor to sustain its economy. Ashe Ma hopes to bring his family to Germany, highlighting the positive experiences of many migrants. Stephen Bley from the business desk underscores the importance of overseas talent, mentioning the impact of increasing part-time work on the labor market. A new law aims to facilitate hiring foreign workers, though challenges remain regarding qualification recognition and bureaucratic inefficiencies. The migration debate also fuels the rise of far-right sentiments, particularly in the former East, where industries require foreign workers but face resistance from local populations. Despite these challenges, the allure of better living conditions may continue to attract skilled migrants to Germany.

Keywords

💡Aging Population

An aging population refers to a demographic trend where the proportion of older individuals increases relative to younger ones. In the context of the video, this concept is critical as it highlights Germany's labor market challenges, with a significant portion of the workforce nearing retirement age, leading to a shortage of skilled workers. For example, the script mentions that four million people will retire in the next decade, emphasizing the urgency for Germany to find new workers.

💡Immigration

Immigration is the process of individuals moving to a foreign country to live or work. The video underscores Germany's reliance on immigration to fill job vacancies due to its declining birth rate and aging workforce. The narrative features various migrant experiences, such as Ashe ma from India and Rafik from Armenia, illustrating how immigration is seen as a solution to labor shortages in diverse sectors.

💡Skilled Workers

Skilled workers are individuals with specialized training or expertise in a particular field. The video stresses the need for skilled migrants in Germany to support various industries, as evidenced by the struggles of companies like Deepar Dex’s textile business to find qualified workers locally. The demand for skilled workers is further highlighted by Ashe ma's successful transition into the tech industry in Germany.

💡Work Visa

A work visa is a legal document that allows foreign nationals to work in a host country. The video discusses the bureaucratic challenges faced by potential immigrants like Rafik, whose credentials are not recognized by German authorities, creating barriers to obtaining a work visa. This aspect reflects the complexities of the immigration process and its impact on filling job vacancies in Germany.

💡Quality of Life

Quality of life encompasses the general well-being of individuals and societies, including factors like health, comfort, and leisure. The video contrasts the quality of life in Germany with that in countries like India, suggesting that aspects such as work-life balance, shorter commutes, and better leisure opportunities make Germany an attractive destination for foreign workers. For instance, Ashe ma's comments on leisure time and work-life balance highlight this aspect.

💡Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy refers to the administrative system governing any large institution, characterized by strict rules and procedures. The video points to the slow and often rigid bureaucratic processes in Germany that hinder skilled migrants from entering the workforce. The frustration expressed by business owners regarding the lengthy credential recognition processes illustrates how bureaucracy can impede labor market flexibility.

💡Talent Shortage

Talent shortage occurs when there are not enough skilled individuals available to fill job vacancies. The video emphasizes this issue in Germany, highlighting that many sectors, including technology and healthcare, are struggling to find suitable candidates. The mention of employers needing to look overseas for talent signifies the urgency of addressing this growing shortage.

💡Cultural Integration

Cultural integration refers to the process by which immigrants adopt the cultural norms of a host country while retaining aspects of their original culture. In the video, Ashe ma's experience learning German illustrates the challenges and efforts involved in integrating into German society. His statement about language barriers highlights the importance of cultural integration for successful migration and employment.

💡Labor Market

The labor market is the supply and demand for labor, where workers find employment and employers seek to hire. The video discusses the challenges facing the German labor market due to an aging population and declining birth rates, necessitating a focus on immigration to maintain workforce levels. This context reveals the systemic issues that drive the need for foreign workers.

💡Far-right Politics

Far-right politics typically involve nationalist, anti-immigration sentiments and policies. The video addresses the rising popularity of Germany's far-right party, the AfD, and its skepticism toward immigration, which poses challenges for businesses seeking foreign talent. This political climate can complicate the government's immigration policies and affect public perceptions of migrants.

Highlights

Germany's aging population and declining birth rate are driving the need for immigration to fill job vacancies.

At the end of last year, 350,000 people from non-EU countries registered in Germany seeking work.

The number of qualified migrants in Germany is on the rise, highlighting its appeal as a destination for skilled workers.

Language remains a significant barrier for immigrants, affecting their integration and employment prospects.

Immigrants, like software programmer Ashe from India, face challenges in learning German, which can take years.

The experience of immigrants varies, with some successfully adapting to the local culture and workforce.

Businesses in Germany are increasingly looking to recruit foreign workers due to local labor shortages.

Deepak, a textile business owner, struggles to find young German workers due to a historical decline in apprenticeship opportunities.

Germany's manufacturers face a dilemma as many of their employees are now from abroad, yet they still need local talent.

The bureaucratic process for foreign workers to gain employment in Germany can be lengthy and frustrating.

Germany requires hundreds of thousands of new skilled workers, especially as 4 million people are expected to retire in the next decade.

The rising preference for part-time work among Germans is further exacerbating the labor shortage.

A new law in Berlin aims to make it easier for companies to hire foreign workers, but regulatory challenges remain.

The stringent qualification requirements for foreign workers complicate the hiring process and limit flexibility.

The rise of the far-right party AfD in Germany is causing concern among businesses relying on foreign talent.

Many industries in the former East Germany are developing rapidly but struggle to find local workers to fill new roles.

Transcripts

Germany's aging population and shrinking

birth rate means it is increasingly

looking to immigration to fill vacant

jobs at the end of last year 350,000

people from non-eu countries were

registered in Germany seeking work and

the number of qualified migrants in the

country is also on the

[Music]

rise one year ago software programmer

Ashe ma came from India to Germany and

stayed

language is the main barrier but if we

compare it from other countries then I

find the country is good peoples are

good the only thing is this German thing

the language and you have to learn in

the starting I was thinking it would be

be very easy in 3 to 6 months I will be

comfortable to speak in German it's not

an easy thing it take

years this man helped him ch May doctor

knows both cultures he came to Germany

decades ago as a mechanical engineer

he's turned his experience into a

business and now finds Indian

Specialists like Ashe for German

companies they pay up to five figure

sums in commission for his service as

they can't find suitable applicants in

Germany and for foreign software

Developers for example from Asia Germany

is very

attractive there's clearly more Leisure

Time here enter better quality of life

in India most large companies are in big

cities and when you go to work you have

to commute at least one and a half or

two hours every day this is not the case

in Germany and that's just one reason

why the quality of life here is

significantly

better dear Dirks owns a textile

business he's trying to find new workers

from abroad as well he needs more

manpower to help keep up with

orders no we don't have young workers

from Germany anymore that's because at

some point in the past manufacturers had

less work and hired fewer

apprentices half of the Factor's

employees are from abroad without the

help of a recruiter deepar Dex has found

an Armenian who can do the job and wants

to hire him hellma hello Dima it's been

good I'm well how are you

very good I've already found your

apartment here in

Germany for 18 months deep me DK has

been trying to bring rafik from Armenia

to Germany but German authorities do not

recognize his credentials plus the slow

bureaucracy is frustrating for the

business owner who wants to sponsor the

work

visa Germany needs hundreds of thousands

of new skilled workers it'll need even

more in the future as 4 million people

will retire in the the next decade and

there aren't enough young people to

replace

them back at the computer company where

Ashe ma Works he's settled well into

Germany and dreams of staying he wants

to bring his family to Germany just like

his colleague from Gana and enroll his

children in school here his advice to

others it's up to you how you want to be

how you want to make your Communications

in Germany if you ask anything they will

help

you

let's dig a bit deeper into this with

Stephen Bley from our business desk

Stephen uh overseas Talent how important

is this becoming for Germany yeah it's

it's very important I mean Germany isn't

just an aging Workforce it's one that on

average is working fewer hours as more

people take up part-time um and this is

at a time right now of record employment

so you know if you want to keep the

thing running there's not a whole lot of

levers to pull these days right so

that's why we're seeing more businesses

more industry groups look towards

overseas Talent um and this cuts across

job sectors this isn't just nurses and

hospitals and it and software like we

just saw there um it's bakeries for

example they're looking to places like

Vietnam the Philippines to Kenya um to

North Africa there's a federal program

right now now migration isn't the only

solution if you could encourage people

to work more hours that would be another

one but it is an important solution but

people are working less you say people

are working less yeah more part time

they're working more parttime part time

has become more preferred over time

especially in Germany we've seen that a

number of countries here in Europe um

traditionally it was because of raising

children taking care of elderly family

members and now it's uh increasingly

because or people more people say that

it's because of work life balance so

that's another thing that has actually

reduced the overall amount of hours

being worked in Germany and in a number

of European countries now Berlin

recently passed a new law um that it's

supposed to make it easier to hire

foreign workers for companies U is going

to work yeah it it should it's a good

first start let's say that right what's

always been difficult about the job

market here in Germany is that it's

highly regulated and that in many ways

it's been insulated from competition

overseas uh now that you need those

workers it's really difficult in many

cases they're often required to have the

exact same qualifications or

certifications one to one as a German

candidate would have but in many

countries they don't have those it's

sort of impossible um and then once they

get a Visa it's highly tailored to their

specific job so with the new law we're

seeing new rules phased in some of this

is going to be loosened um but it's

still going to be difficult because it's

it requires it leans on a bureaucracy

that itself is quite aging here um

that's not very flexible and it's not

very digital so a lot of these

qualifications will still need to be met

people will now be allowed to come over

to Germany while their qualifications

are checked out but if it's going to

take two to three years before

everything is forward gone forward

there's a green light then what's the

point there there's a flip side to this

uh migration migration debate because it

is also migration is driving the popular

popularity of Germany's large far-right

party uh the the afd how much of a

problem is that for German businesses I

think this is the question we're all

asking as we go forward and especially

as we see the afd rise in the polls you

know where they're strong the former

East is also an area where many um

Industries are now building up big

plants for example you're looking at

Intel and tsmc chipmakers both building

in the East uh we're seeing um uh Tesla

for example battery makers building out

there they're not going to find German

Workers to fill those spots they're

going to require foreign workers but

this is an area where the afd as you

said is popular they're at best

skeptical to overseas Talent at worst

they're downright hostile to them and a

lot of that is then influencing the

government's sort of the way the

government talks itself you know when it

talks about deporting more people who

are here legally it sends sort of a

mixed message if you're looking for them

but also deporting um other migrants so

I think at the end of the day people

will always go where they need to be to

get a good livelihood and if are people

like the one we saw in that story who

say ultimately this is a good spot then

I think they're going to keep coming but

it could be difficult step B there DW

business thank you very much

Stephen