ImmigrationGermany needs 260,000 immigrants a year to meet labor demand: Study
Germany needs at least 260,000 new migrant workers per year until 2060 in order to meet growing labor shortages caused by demographic decline. Since migration to Germany from other EU countries is declining, at least 146,000 people each year would need to immigrate from non-EU member states.
Germany needs at least 260,000 new migrant workers per year until 2060 in order to meet growing labor shortages caused by demographic decline.
A new study, published Tuesday by the Bertelsmann Foundation, says that of that number, 146,000 people each year would need to immigrate from non-EU member states.
As result of an aging population, the labor force in Germany is estimated to shrink by a third, or around 16 million people, by 2060 without immigration. If immigrants do not make up the shortfall, the labor shortage could have a devastating impact on world’s fourth largest economy.
Yahoo Finance reports that these labor shortfall estimates follow the most optimistic of the different calculated scenarios in the study: This more optimistic scenario assumes that the birth rate of the German native population is rising, more women are working, and that the pension age is increased to 70.
Less optimistic scenarios show an even greater labor shortfall.
The study estimated that 114,000 people would immigrate from other EU countries, but that demographic factors and economic convergence within the 28-member bloc would reduce the incentive for workers to settle and work in Germany.
Jörg Dräger, the executive director of the Bertelsmann Foundation, pointed out official numbers showed that only 38,000 workers came and stayed in Germany in 2017.
The findings of the study suggest Germany needs rapidly to adopt immigration laws to attract medium and high-skilled workers as well as develop more robust integration programs, he told DW.
