Labor Market Report 2023
Occupational Status in the German Economy
Data shows that current crises have led to subdued economic outlook, nevertheless staff shortages remain high in some areas of business in Germany. Compiled in 2023, the 15th annual DEKRA Academy Labor Market Report examined those professions and occupational vocations still most urgently in demand.
In line with findings in “The Future of Jobs Report 2023” prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF) which analyzed the net growth or decline of positions from 2023-2027, the 2023 DEKRA Academy Labor Market Report has indicated similar results for the German job market moving forward.
The DEKRA 2023 Labor Market Report
Having analyzed some 13,184 job openings posted by employers at the end of February, our 15th annual Labor Market Report matched WEF data with technical engineers, analysts and specialists in highest demand. DEKRA data showed recruiting departments in the healthcare and social services sectors posted the most positions in February (13,4 %), followed by business management or business-related services (10.0%) and the mechanical and vehicle engineering (8.3%) industries. These results show that we in Germany must act on the assumption of a shortage of skilled workers and employees in many sectors. In addition, factors such as the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis that led to economic downturn at the beginning of the year must be considered.
Top Ten Professions: Skilled Workers and Employees Urgently Needed
While the composition of the ten most frequently sought after occupations in Germany underscores the shortage of qualified personnel, four of the ten are jobs for which semi-skilled or unskilled workers can also apply. In addition to helpers for production, companies are also looking for numerous personnel, especially in warehouse logistics.
In our 2023 report, electronics technicians and healthcare and nursing assistants remain in first and second place. Even after the pandemic, the demand for healthcare and nursing professionals is still high. In addition to skilled nursing staff, recruiters are looking in particular for geriatric nurses, with German hospitals and geriatric care facilities needing more nursing assistants than in 2022.
Ranking third, production assistants are a solid example of how people with a variety of practical experience have a good chance of gaining a foothold in industry, even without a vocational qualification. Fourth-ranked social workers and educators on the other hand, are newcomers among the frontrunners with one of the largest shortages of skilled professionals. Their expertise is now needed in many areas such as supporting schools or assisting in the integration of refugees. Holding on to fifth place for the third year in a row, qualified IT software developers and programmers in particular have excellent job prospects and can choose from a wide range of open positions.
Occupations respectively rounding up the top ten include:
- Electrical engineer
- Forklift driver and transport equipment operators
- Retail salesperson
- Warehouse and transport workers
- Picker
The full report provides detailed information on developments in the German jobs market. We are happy to share it with you.