Germany's labour shortage is well documented, with experts saying around 400,000 skilled workers from abroad are needed every year to fill vacant positions.
Despite this, much of Germany's election campaign was marked by attacks on immigration. Although much of the focus was on asylum seekers and people who enter Germany illegally, anti-immigration policies and negative language affects everyone with a foreign background.
READ ALSO: What is the CDU's immediate action plan that targets German citizenship law?
It led to hospitals in Germany, who employ lots of people with a migration background, to call out the rhetoric. Clinics, like in Darmstadt, posted videos on social media showing how their staffing levels would drop without immigration and urged people to vote "for humanity".
New research released this week highlights once again the contribution of foreigners to Germany.
In so-called 'bottleneck sectors' - i.e. sectors that are chronically short of staff - the proportion of people with a history of immigration is above average, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
In 2023, two out of three employees in drywall construction (67 percent) had a history of immigration, according to the Federal Statistical Office which analysed figures based on a microcensus survey.
In food production, more than half of employees (51 percent) had a migration background, while the proportion is also above average for tilers (47 percent), bus and tram drivers (46 percent) and service staff in the catering industry (45 percent).
READ ALSO: Which jobs in Germany have a lower salary threshold for an EU Blue Card?
In the elderly care sector, almost one in three people have a history of immigration (31 percent), according to these figures. A large proportion of those in food sales (41 percent) and metal construction (30 percent) often have foreign roots as well.
The data also shows that nearly 30 percent of workers in electrical engineering have an immigration background, while 28.8 percent of dental assistants do.
A Tagesschau report on the statistics pointed out that "in many areas of the German economy, hardly anything would function without immigrant employees".
More than a quarter of immigrants in the labour market
In the overall economy, just over a quarter (26 percent) of all employees had an immigration background in 2023, according to the data.
The microcensus is a sample survey where around one percent of the population in Germany is interviewed each year. A person is understood to have a history of immigration if they themselves - or their parents - have immigrated to Germany since 1950.
READ ALSO:
- How many skilled worker visas are being granted in Germany?
- 'Language classes at work' - How Germany could attract foreigners
Comparatively few people with a history of immigration can be found in public administration, the data shows. For instance, only around 10 percent of employees with a migrant background work in defence and social security, according to the statistics.
Meanwhile, only about 13 percent of employees in the insurance industry have an immigration history. That proportion is 15 percent in financial services and 17 percent in education and teaching.
Comments