Whether it be care assistants, hospitality staff, train and truck drivers, electricians, fitters, mechatronic technicians, programmers, engineers, or teachers, it is hard not to find a profession in Germany today that is not suffering from labour shortages. According to the Federal Statistical Agency’s latest data, Germany’s workforce continues to grow, and reached a record high of 45.7 million people in November 2022. However at the same time, the number of people of working age (German nationals and those from other countries) continues to decline (down from 65.8% to 63.6% between 2014-2022).
As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.