Germany: the number of out of work scientists and engineers has risen sharply (DIW study)

Since the start of the century and really right up until now the primary message received from the business community was the lack of highly skilled labor in the science and technical related domains. Yet, these latest data indicate that in Germany, despite overall low unemployment levels as well as a growing active labor force (currently 43 million), the number of out of work holders of third level diplomas in science and technology has not stopped rising. In information technology and mechanics, unemployment rose by 30% between 2014 and 2015 and for doctors and physicists that rate is 50%. Unemployment among chemists rose over the same period by 24%. In 2015, 30,000 engineering candidates applied for just 15,000 vacancies. These data do not take into account those in-work engineers who are working in positions that are way below their educational level. Nor do the data include those working for temporary employment agencies. Karl Brenke, economist and author of the DIW study argues that more than ten years of raising the ‘scientist’ labor shortage alarm and highlighting a desperate shortage of engineers have delivered these results. The Federal Employment Agency highlights the fact that the number of engineers employed in industry rose from 739,000 in 2008 to 990,000 in 2015. Karl Brenke points out that “In 2014 there were 72,000 young graduates with this profile, more than twice the number in 2000.”