Konjunktur: Institute sehen Lichtblicke am Arbeitsmarkt
Noch überwiegen in den meisten Wirtschaftsbranchen die Pläne, Jobs abzubauen. Doch es mehren sich positive Signale.
The German labor market shows signs of improvement, with unemployment trends leveling off after more than three years of steady increase. However, the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) warns that the situation will worsen due to a large number of retiring baby boomers and a shortage of young workers. IAB researcher Enzo Weber notes that the labor market is contracting.
The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) released an evaluation showing that 27 percent of all dependent employees in 2025 have foreign roots, with immigrants playing a crucial role in many industries. In Germany, immigrants make up more than half of cooks (56 percent), food processing workers (55 percent), scaffolders (54 percent), and meat processors (51 percent).
Other sectors experiencing a higher share of migrant workers include truck drivers (41 percent), hotel service (40 percent), and nursing and care (33 percent).
The unemployment rate remains burdensome due to high uncertainty and structural problems, particularly in manufacturing. Many industries face profound transformations, such as the German automotive industry, which must transition from internal combustion engines to electric mobility. The Federal Agency for Labor Markets will publish September statistics, which the Nürnberger Bundesagentur für Arbeit's Andrea Nahles will present on Wednesday in her monthly labor market statistics.
Meanwhile, the Ifo Institute's employment barometer indicates that companies in Germany are slowing down layoffs for the third consecutive month, with an employment barometer reading of 95.1 points. Klaus Wohlrabe, head of Ifo surveys, acknowledges that the labor market is stabilizing but emphasizes that a genuine recovery is not yet in sight, as industries and trade continue to cut jobs.
The services sector, however, shows positive signs, with more companies planning to create jobs than to cut them. This sector includes engineering firms, legal and tax consultants, and auditors. The outsourcing sector also brings some optimism, while the construction industry shows only slight improvement. The manufacturing sector remains less favorable than it was two months ago, with the latest positive change occurring in March 2024.
Overall, the Ifo index improved slightly by 0.3 points, reaching 95.1, calculated as 100 since 2015.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Konjunktur: Ifo-Umfrage: Arbeitsmarkt stabilisiert sich handelsblatt.com
