On Wednesday, the German government introduced a set of proposed reforms to address labor shortages in the country’s largest economy by promoting immigration, skills training, and recruitment from Western Balkan countries.
“Securing our skilled labor base is one of Germany’s biggest economic tasks for the coming decades,” stated Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, adding that job vacancies reached a record high of almost 2 million in 2022.
The proposed reforms include a new immigration law aimed at addressing obstacles for migrants, especially those from outside the European Union, and could lead to an increase of up to 60,000 workers annually. The law offers three pathways for foreign workers to enter the country, including a new “opportunity card” for individuals with the potential to find work.
Additionally, the cabinet approved an education law providing paid off-the-job training for young people, and extended regulations for job-seekers from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. Migration expert Herbert Bruecker welcomed the extension, as employment rates for these immigrants were between 97% and 98% three to five years after moving to Germany.
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