The federal government has adopted a key issues paper on the immigration of skilled workers. It remains to be seen whether this will solve the shortage of skilled workers in the long term. Because Germany is not really attractive for international specialists, says a top recruiter.
As far as the job market in Germany is concerned, one can attribute a certain competence to Andrea Nahles. She was Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Merkel’s third cabinet, and the former SPD leader has been chairwoman of the Federal Employment Agency since August 2022. In the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” Nahles recently warned: “We need a balance of 400,000 additional workers and skilled workers a year.” And anyway: “Germany is a country of immigration.”
Appropriately, this Wednesday the federal cabinet decided on the first proposals for easier immigration of skilled workers, which are part of a larger package of legislative projects on asylum and migration policy and also include faster access to the German passport. Conversely, this means that politicians have recognized the shortage of skilled workers as a problem and want to take countermeasures.
But is that enough? Is Germany really the promised land for international professionals? Are the well-trained women and men in the world just waiting to finally fill the vacancies between Flensburg and Oberstdorf?
“Nobody, really nobody, dreams of moving to Germany,” Chris Pyak clarified on Twitter. Pyak is the CEO of Immigrant Spirit, a recruitment agency focused on international talent, and the author of How To Win Jobs
Pyak can only shake his head when it comes to the citizenship debate, which is also being raged on Twitter. As someone who has lived in seven countries and helped hundreds of international professionals looking for a job in Germany, he recommends: “Dear fellow citizens – you have to arrive in the real world!”
Pyak continues on Twitter, among other things:
Pyak is convinced that if you want the best specialists, you have to make an effort to get them. If you don’t do that, you only get those who have no other choice. He stresses that Germany’s immigration and citizenship laws are not designed to attract the world’s best talent to our country. This has to change. “The new citizenship law is a step in that direction,” Pyak emphasizes.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) wants to bring a bill into the cabinet soon that will make naturalization easier. This Friday, the Bundestag is to vote on the so-called right of residence. It is intended to offer prospects to well-integrated foreigners who have been living in Germany for several years without a secure status. Anyone who has lived in the country for five years as of October 31, 2022 and has not committed a crime should be given 18 months to meet the requirements for long-term residence – this includes knowledge of German and securing their own livelihood.
From the point of view of Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, the planned new rules for the immigration of skilled workers are about securing the country’s prosperity. “Our goal is the most modern immigration law in Europe, because we compete with many countries for clever minds and helping hands,” the SPD politician told SWR. “The fact that we get the right people secures prosperity in Germany.”
Heil demanded: “We must not simply accept the immigration of skilled workers bureaucratically as in the past, we must want it on a massive scale.” He spoke of a “national effort” for the federal, state and local authorities – and also for the economy.
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The Union has expressed reservations about the government’s plans. The parliamentary manager of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei, gave the targeted points system a rejection. Party and faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) said that the Union would examine appropriate proposals without prejudice. However, the point system is “probably more applicable to other countries than to ours”.
The traffic light coalition is entering a completely new field with the idea of giving non-EU foreigners the opportunity to relocate to Germany to look for a job using a points system. The key points agreed between the ministries state: “The selection criteria can include qualifications, language skills, professional experience, connection to Germany and age.” Discussions between the SPD, FDP and Greens are to be expected on this point in particular – until a bill is available. For example: How many points are there for which language level? And how can the “German connection” be proven?
Commodity prices are relaxing – a sign that the global economy is cooling off a bit. Monetary policy will therefore not overstretch the interest curve. One investment class in particular should benefit from this: the precious metal gold.
33 German companies with sales of at least 20 million euros have filed for bankruptcy in the past three months. That is 74 percent more than in the same period last year. This means that there are already more major insolvencies than in the whole of 2021.
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