In 2024, the German labor market will continue to be characterized by a shortage of skilled workers.
The labor market in Germany in 2024 will be characterized by a shortage of skilled workers. In the ever-changing job market, choosing the right field of activity is crucial for personal and professional development. This applies especially to foreign professionals who want to build a successful life in Germany.
Digitalization has created many new jobs in Germany, and AI is permanently changing the job market. Predicting whether employment in this environment will be attractive in the long term or will soon become obsolete again is difficult. However, some industries will continue to be attractive in the long term. In this article, I present the sectors that offer promising long-term career opportunities in Germany.
Nursing Professions
About 37,000 Positions in nursing facilities are vacant
The most crucial sector is the care industry. With increasing life expectancy and the aging of the German society, the demand for professional and primary medical care is rising. Hospitals, retirement homes, and other nursing facilities are always looking for nursing staff with different levels of qualifications to meet the increasing demand. About 37,000 positions in nursing facilities are vacant. And the need is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. Anyone who wants to work permanently in the nursing profession in Germany requires state approval to practice the profession. Applicants must, therefore, meet the following formal requirements:
Recognized Degree
Sufficient Knowledge of German: (level B1 or B2, depending on the federal state)
Medical Fitness
Personal Suitability/Reliability
The biggest challenge for foreign specialists is having their qualifications recognized. The federal government offers a portal where you can learn how to do this step-by-step.
Doctors
57,200 foreign doctors work in Germany (2023). Over 32,000 of all foreign doctors come from countries outside the European Union.
Young medical talent is urgently needed in Germany. Demand will continue to rise in the next few years - especially since many hospital doctors will be retiring. There is also a great demand for general practitioners. In eastern Germany and rural areas, many doctors can no longer find a successor for their medical practice.
At the same time, the number of foreign doctors working in Germany has more than doubled in the last ten years. In 2021 alone, 9,636 doctors from abroad applied to have the equivalence of their foreign qualifications checked.
As a doctor, you can expect many career opportunities in Germany. You can, e.g., work in hospitals, clinics, health centers, or nursing services. Here, you usually work as an employee. However, you can also operate a medical practice independently. Other professional fields are available, such as medical research and teaching, at health authorities, health insurance companies, or in the private sector, e.g., as a scientist in medical technology or the pharmaceutical industry. Overall, doctors in Germany achieve the highest average income of all academic disciplines.
Of course, that sounds fantastic at first glance. However, you should be aware of the recognition process. Doctors from abroad can find further information about state licensing via this link:
Good to know!
The "Specialized!" program is available for doctors from Mexico and Jordan with B2 language skills. – "Recruitment, qualification, and integration of foreign medical professionals." Find out more about this program from the Federal Employment Agency:
IT Specialists
About 149,000 jobs are vacant in the IT Industry.
Digitalization has radically changed our world and will continue to do so in the future, especially as artificial intelligence advances. In an increasingly connected world, information technology professionals are in high demand.
Here are just a few of the professions that will continue to be in high demand in 2024 and offer attractive career opportunities:
Software developers, data analysts, cybersecurity experts, cloud architects, and IT project managers. A university degree is usually required in these professional fields. Still, career changers have plenty of opportunities to work in this field through further training and work experience. The city to be is definitely Berlin. It is the number one city in Germany for foreign IT specialists. Most of the relevant companies in the IT sector were founded there in recent years. Berlin offers tech job seekers a great platform and countless employment opportunities to work at innovative startups or established companies.
Green Jobs
Already, around 350,000 employees work in the field of "renewable energies".
The problem of climate change puts renewable energy at the top of the list of promising future areas. The global energy transition and renewable energies are megatrends that will continue to gain importance in the next few years. With the "Energiewende", Germany has set the goal of greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. This is a driver for new jobs - hundreds of thousands of people are already employed in this area in Germany, especially in medium-sized companies. Things are also getting greener in the top German automotive industry market. Renewable energy engineers, solar engineers, wind energy engineers, and energy consultants are needed to advance in the transition to clean energy sources. Handyperson are also particularly in demand (e.g., technicians for energy and building technology, heating technology, system mechanics, plumbing, heating, and air conditioning technology). Green technologies from Germany are also in high demand worldwide, especially in renewable energies. The German environmental technology industry ensures innovation in the energy sector and develops new information and communication technologies. With the proper training and work experience, this is an excellent market to start your career in Germany.
Summary
In 2024, the market for foreign skilled workers will remain stable despite Germany's economic cool-down. The need in nursing and the medical sector, in particular, will continue to increase. The enacted legislation concerning the "Energiewende" will continue to create and promote "green jobs." It is essential to check whether you have the required training and experience for the job. Knowledge of English is indispensable; in the medical field, knowledge of German is also necessary.
I recommend checking your visa options here:
I look forward to hearing from you if you have any further questions.
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