New figures from the Federal Statistical Office, highlighted by Handelsblatt on 28 September, show that workers with a migration background are plugging critical labour gaps in Germany’s service economy. In 2025, 56 % of chefs, 55 % of food-processing staff, 47 % of bus and tram drivers and 47 % of restaurant service employees had at least one parent born abroad, compared with 27 % across the overall labour market. In long-haul trucking the share was 41 %, while one-third of care-sector employees came from immigrant families. The data land as the coalition government rolls out the second stage of its reformed Skilled Immigration Act, which from 1 October will lower salary thresholds for the EU Blue Card and introduce a points-based ‘opportunity card’ (Chancenkarte) for job-seekers. Employers in gastronomy and logistics lobbied hard for easier recruitment after unfilled vacancies hit record highs over the summer holiday season. Handelsblatt’s analysis highlights two drivers of successful labour-market integration: language proficiency and the recognition of foreign qualifications. Federal Employment Agency research shows that migrants who reach at least B1 German within two years are twice as likely to remain in their occupation. Conversely, slow bureaucratic credential checks still deter skilled trades from hiring abroad. For corporate mobility teams, the findings strengthen the business case for investing in on-arrival language tuition and fast-track credential assessment. Multinationals posting staff to Germany should note that certain short-supply roles—chefs, carers, professional drivers—now benefit from accelerated Work Visa processing under the new regulations. Looking ahead, demographers forecast that Germany will need net immigration of roughly 400,000 workers a year to stabilise its workforce as baby-boomers retire. The Bundesagentur für Arbeit has already earmarked funding for sector-specific recruitment missions in India, the Philippines and Latin America. Companies that align their talent pipelines with these initiatives may gain priority access to interview pools and visa appointment slots.
Source: Handelsblatt
