The German government is working to meet its need for many skilled workers in different jobs, and an analysis conducted by the German Employment Agency indicates that there is a shortage of skilled labor in one out of every six professions in Germany.
This is the reason that prompted the government to introduce reforms to the Skilled Labor Immigration Law, aiming to facilitate the arrival of foreign workers to Germany.
The problem is that these workers not only want to come to Germany, but they also want to stay there, at least for a while.
Herbert Brucker from the Institute for Job Research in the southern German city of Nuremberg says that temporary migration is increasing, and the reason for this is that means of transportation have become less expensive, while technological development has facilitated continuous communication with family members.
But how do you get workers to stay?
To answer this question, we must first examine the factors that prompt immigrants to leave Germany.
To identify these factors, the Bingen Institute for Applied Economic Research conducted an opinion poll in which 1,900 people participated, via Facebook during the period from December 2021 and January 2022, for the employment agency.
The survey results indicated that many foreign workers in Germany leave for bureaucratic reasons, such as when the term of their temporary contracts expires, or if their professional qualifications are not recognized.
However, there are other reasons related to the way of life in Germany.
Two out of three highly qualified professionals from non-European countries said that they had been subjected to discrimination in Germany.
Another reason is that many immigrants feel unappreciated and that their qualifications aren’t recognized.
Alexander Kritikos from the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin confirms that some companies are already making a lot of effort to encourage the integration of foreign workers.
He says, “however, that all companies should prepare for more investment in this field… The path can begin by doing simple things, such as carpooling, which is a step that can break the ice barrier”.
While Herbert Brucker says that living conditions in general in Germany are a decisive factor, as the shortage of child care centers affects everyone, especially immigrants, and we have the right to ask: Are our schools sufficiently inclusive of all, so as to provide immigrant children with equal opportunities?
According to Brucker, social housing also needs support, because if migrant workers pay a lot of money for housing, the advantage of high German wages compared to other countries will be negated.
