The number of vacancies in Germany in 2016 reached an all-time high
Thus, as Deutsche Welle notes, the working population will approach a new record level of 43.7 million people. In 2016, this figure was 43.5 million people. Behind these economic data lie new opportunities for qualified specialists, including those from abroad.
If we rely on the statistics of new jobs, most of them were created in the service sector, especially in healthcare. In the economic publication Handelsblatt, the ranking of the most promising professions was based on the increase in vacancies on the labor market. As a result, the most promising areas included science and research, healthcare, media, telecommunications and information technology, as well as transport and logistics. In these areas, job seekers can expect a solid increase in demand from employers.
The digitalization of the economy (converting information into digital form) has led to a sharp increase in demand for specialists in technical vacancies, which has long outpaced supply on the labor market. To keep up with such growth, the German economy needs computer scientists and software developers. Supply on the market does not yet cover demand.
The banking sector can be considered promising but problematic. 2016 was a difficult year for it, and the banking crisis is far from over. Vacancies at the top management level in this area are increasing, but a series of large-scale layoffs has led to an oversupply of personnel on the market. Here, candidates should prepare for high competition.
On the downside were areas such as finance, customer service, mechanical engineering, personnel management, sales management, and marketing. Vacancies in these specialties have decreased, which, however, does not mean that candidates have fewer chances of getting a job.
According to analysts, jobs on the German market are guaranteed, despite the fact that the number of specialists looking for work may rise to 2.8 million people. As shown by the results of a representative survey by TNS Emnid, higher salaries and career advancement are among the main reasons for seeking a new job. 65 percent want to gain additional knowledge in their specialty. The desire for new knowledge is especially characteristic of the younger generation (candidates under 39), who, in the era of digital technology, are ready to constantly learn new technologies and processes.
Summing up, we can say that 2017 promises many opportunities on the labor market. The main thing now is to be able to take advantage of them.