Germany's Top Job Vacancies by Industry 2014
Recently released information on the state of Germany’s job market shows that there are specific sectors of the market with a great need for workers. Job seekers in Germany will find that there are openings for professionals, technical workers, and even jobs across several fields that do not require a particular education. Longer than average time periods during which openings are not being filled suggest that the lack of workers in these fields is an ongoing issue. Overall, 19 areas have been identified in which there is a shortage of workers, several of them non-professional areas.
Shortages in Retail, Food, and Tourism Positions
Although these positions rarely require post-secondary education, the retail sector shows the greatest number of positions that need to be filled. As of June 2014, the retail industry showed 34,700 vacancies, the highest number of any sector. Although the vacancies don’t quite reach the numbers seen in the retail area, Germany is also seeing a lot of vacancies reported in the food and tourism industries, at 19,900 vacancies and 23,400 vacancies, respectively. The numbers show an overall need for workers to fill service industry positions across a variety of sectors.
Technical Workers in Great Demand
Technical and skilled craftspeople are among the most in-demand in Germany currently. Specifically, the metal working industry, which is second only to retail with 32,400 vacancies reported, has a great need for workers. Other technical fields showing shortages include mechanical, energy, and electric sectors, all of which have a large number of vacant positions. The automotive industry is calling for skilled workers as well, with 29,000 vacant positions. The vacancies reported span the entire workforce from entry level to advanced skill levels.
High Vacancy Levels in Health Care
The report shows that there are 6.1% more jobs open for doctors, therapists, and nurses this year than in the same report the year before. Health care vacancies for these positions account for 28,800 openings. Outside the medical care area, other on-medical health positions account for 24,600 job openings. Among the positions most in demand currently are geriatric care, palliative care, oncology, dental technicians, and technicians in the orthopedic and rehabilitation fields.
Where Germany’s Jobs are Located
The western part of the nation is showing a particular need to fill specialist positions and those positions not requiring specialized education. Areas such as Bavaria, Bremen, and Lower Saxony are among those where mechanical and electrical experts are likely to find openings, and where openings are going much longer without being filled than in other parts of the country.