Germany urgently needs workers. In some sectors, the conditions are getting worse and have long been noticeable to consumers. The traffic light’s answer to this is more migration – specifically to the labor market.
A problem is becoming noticeable in Germany these days: there is a shortage of workers, and not too little. At the airports and in the catering trade, the corona virus has played its part in the fact that the need is now particularly great.
Over a period of two years, operations were repeatedly shut down as far as possible, if not completely suspended, so that employees looked for new jobs. Now they are missing during operation, which leads to chaotic conditions in many places.
The problem that the pandemic has made so evident is not new. In the German economy there has been a shortage of workers and especially skilled workers for many years. Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) recently summarized: “There is a lack of IT staff, there are no techies. But there is also a lack of nurses and truck drivers. We’re talking about a whole range.”
The consequence: the potential for growth and welfare is limited. Because staff shortages also mean that production and the range of services are restricted. The traffic light now wants to take countermeasures with migration.
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“People feel every day how big the shortage of skilled workers is today,” warned the FDP labor market expert Johannes Vogel recently in connection with the chaos at German airports. In addition to job cuts during the pandemic, there is a general shortage of workers in Germany. “We must finally get a modern immigration policy off the ground,” said Vogel.
In the cabinet, the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed last week on a migration package proposed by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The key points include: the introduction of an opportunity residence permit, facilitation of the immigration of skilled workers and direct access to integration and vocational courses.
In the future, for example, training or employment could be solid reasons for toleration for migrants. Or family reunification can be made easier by eliminating the requirement for a language certificate. At the same time, the expulsion of criminals should be made easier.
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The aim of the federal government is to make the German labor market more attractive. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) also said: “We want people who are well integrated to also have good opportunities in our country.” The previous practice of chain toleration must be ended, said Faeser.
The fact is that if the project succeeds, economists say it could have a very positive effect on the German economy. Because more workers would not only contribute to gross domestic product and public revenues, but also mean that the chaotic conditions that some industries are currently struggling with will ease in the future.
Background: According to experts, this is a systemic problem. Because more people are retiring than are moving up, there is an ever-increasing gap. Alexander Kritikos from the German Institute for Economic Research now warns: “We urgently need immigration into the labor market. We are missing 400,000 people every year.”
Last year just 100,000 came to Germany. That is not enough to close the gap mentioned by Kritikos. According to the expert, the previous Skilled Immigration Act, which the grand coalition introduced in 2020, is simply insufficient for this.
From the economist’s point of view, the traffic light migration package is “a first step, but not enough”. In order to survive in international competition, Germany must become more attractive and further lower hurdles, says Kritikos. “One way that could help is the point system proposed by the FDP party.”
Although the idea is already in the coalition agreement, it should now be prioritized and is part of a comprehensive resolution that the Liberals published after their July 4th presidency meeting. The FDP wants to go even further than the traffic light has planned so far.
For example, potential workers should be given controlled access to the labor market with the help of the aforementioned opportunity card based on a points system. In addition, the issuing of visas is to be digitized or the Blue Card extended to non-academic professions.
The far-reaching proposals have triggered criticism in parts of the Union. Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told the “Welt” that he considered the draft law dangerous because it created a massive incentive for illegal migration to Germany. Although other Union-led federal states support the legislative package.
Contrary to the criticism, the traffic light wants to agree on another migration package in the fall. It can be assumed with great certainty that proposals from the current decision of the FDP presidium meeting will also appear in it.