Germany Workforce Demand Update — Verified Official Sources

Work Across Borders is introducing Global Opportunity Intelligence: verified labor-market updates that connect profession demand with recognition, qualification and international hiring pathways.

Germany: current official signals

Germany’s Federal Employment Agency reports 157 shortage occupations in its 2025 skilled-worker shortage analysis. Shortages are especially concentrated in nursing, medical professions, construction and skilled trades; professional drivers are also strongly sought.

Germany’s official Make it in Germany portal currently highlights nursing professionals, physicians, engineers, IT specialists, scientists, craftspeople and transport as professions in demand.

Selected verified figures

Nursing: around 31,000 vacant positions in care facilities. Nursing is a regulated profession in Germany and professional recognition is required for long-term practice.

Engineering: about 76,000 vacancies remained unfilled in 2025.

IT: about 109,000 positions remained vacant in 2025.

Current official job-listing counts include 15,198 roles in healthcare/social/education, 3,640 in construction/technical building services, 2,410 in transport/logistics/safety, and 8,198 in manufacturing/production. These are portal listing counts, not a claim about total national shortages.

What this means for international professionals

High demand does not automatically mean direct eligibility. Work Across Borders evaluates the profession, qualification country, destination-country rules, recognition or licensing status, language requirements and work-authorization pathway before identifying the next step.

Official sources

Make it in Germany — Professions in Demand: https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/working-in-germany/professions-in-demand

Make it in Germany — Job Listings: https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/working-in-germany/job-listings

Federal Employment Agency — Skilled Worker Shortage Analysis: https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/DE/Statischer-Content/Statistiken/Themen-im-Fokus/Fachkraeftebedarf/Fachkraefteengpassanalyse/Fachkraefteengpassanalyse.html

Last reviewed by Work Across Borders: 24 August 2026. Statistics and regulations can change; WAB preserves the source and date for every update.