German Defense Minister reveals that the German army is facing problems with attracting new recruits
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Wednesday, that the German armed forces are facing major problems in attracting new recruits.
At a very critical time, Germany seeks to modernize its army; attracting new recruits have become a major problem.
Recruiting the next generation of soldiers, Pistorius acknowledged a major challenge, speaking during a visit to an armed forces recruitment center in Stuttgart.
“Everyone is talking about a shortage in the number of Bundeswehr personnel, and no one knows that better than me,” the German defense minister told reporters, adding that the number of applications to join the army is 7% lower this year, compared to the same period, last year.
While the German army currently aims to increase the number of soldiers, to reach 203 thousand by 2031, compared to 180 thousand currently, Pistorius confirmed that this number is being reviewed.
Pistorius added that the percentage of those who withdraw from the army during the training period reaches 30%, and that the younger generation has expressed more concerns about achieving a balance between work and life than in the past, which is difficult to reach with a job in the army.
He pointed out that the number of people in the age group from 14 to 25 years will be 12% less by 2050, pointing out also that population aging, which leads to a shortage of labor in many sectors, also makes military recruitment difficult.
