New professionals in Germany are taking longer than ever to secure their first jobs, even though the country faces a shortage of skilled workers. According to a response from the federal Ministry of Labour to a question posed by the Greens, more than one in five recent graduates needed over six months after completing their training to start their first employment. Among university-educated graduates the figure was even higher at 23 percent.
In 2018 roughly one‑quarter of newcomers entered the workforce within a month, a milestone now achieved by only one in five. The average duration of unemployment following a completed vocational qualification has risen about 19 days since 2019, reaching 134 days-nearly four and a half months. “The federal government is confirming that for many young people, entering the workforce is becoming increasingly longer and more difficult” said Greens’ labour‑policy spokesperson Sylvia Rietenberg in an interview with “Handelsblatt”.
The Greens are concerned that the government seems unaware of how much the shift towards a digital economy and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence have impacted the job market, beyond the poor economic conditions. “AI is transforming the labour market at a breakneck pace, yet the federal government does not even know how many entry‑level positions have been eliminated or restructured” Rietenberg criticized. “If we are to genuinely support young people, we must actively shape this transition, and that first requires a clearer picture of the situation”.