The Germans did not open their labor market to Poles to the same extent as other European Union countries, such as Ireland or Great Britain. They feared an influx of Polish workers. But as it turned out, fear has big eyes: Poles are not eager to go to Germany, even though it is closer than the British Isles.
Now Poland and Germany have swapped roles. The German government realized that there is no one left to work in the country. Currently, there are about 1 million job vacancies in Germany, and the authorities decided to change the situation. Since November, Polish engineers, like their colleagues from other countries that recently became EU members, can work across the Oder without special formalities. There is especially high demand for electrical engineers and specialists in mechanical engineering and automotive manufacturing.
That's not all. Poles who have obtained a higher education in Germany in any field no longer need to get a work permit, provided they find a job within a year of defending their diploma. Employment offices will treat them and foreign engineers the same as German citizens. That is, they can get a job even if there are Germans among the candidates for the vacant position.
As of today, according to another Polish publication Rzeczpospolita, over 4 million Germans hire housekeepers, gardeners, and child minders. However, most employers forget to report this to tax authorities. The Labor Ministry's statistics only show 200,000 such workers. To combat this phenomenon, Labor Minister Franz Müntefering intends to apply new methods. He wants to allow tax deductions from 2008 for expenses related to hiring a nanny or gardener. This should create thousands of legal jobs in Germany. The chances that this will eliminate illegal work are very slim. Housekeepers from Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania are very often in Germany illegally. And Germans prefer to pay under the table €9 per hour rather than the legally mandated €16.
Since November, Luxembourg has also opened its labor market to new members of the European Union. Now Poles can take jobs there without obtaining special permits.
Luxembourg is a small state, and opening the labor market is rather symbolic. But if someone finds a job in the Grand Duchy, they will be treated the same as native residents.
Translation by Uk2watch.com