According to the Research Institute of Labor Market and Employment (IAB), almost 1 million jobs could not be filled in Germany during the 2nd quarter of the year.

From April to June 2016, a total number of 985,000 vacancies could not be filled in the largest European economy, a 10% growth compared to the same period in 2015. According to the Federal Agency of Employment (BA), the number of unfilled vacancies was 674,000. However, this agency only considers the job openings that companies communicate to labor authorities.

The sector with the largest number of uncovered positions was education (including kindergarten, primary and secondary school) with 45,000 vacancies. The growing demand of these professionals is mostly due to the massive arrival of refugees, as around 50% of them are underage and have to immediately enter the German educational system.

The arrival of young professionals from southern Europe, who flee from unemployment, and of refugees, who scape war, has not sufficed to cover these positions.

Besides professors and doctors, Germany needs engineers specialized in areas such as automation, mechatronics –a combination of mechanics and electronics-, construction, computer sciences, and experts in garbage recollection.

They also need workers with no college degrees, such as caretakers, cooks, waiters, bakers, butchers, plumbers, locksmiths, heating and air conditioning experts, etc.

Even though Dual-Professional Training, which consists in learning inside the classroom and in a company, guarantees getting a job as an apprentice from day one, more and more young Germans prefer going to the university.

During the past three years, over 500,000 professional training jobs were registered as vacant. And in many states, such as Baden-Wurttemberg, Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, Thuringia or Bavaria, there are more vacancies of professional training jobs than applications.

The hotel industry, gastronomy and the food Industry are the most affected by the lack of young apprentices. Hotel companies, restaurants, and food products’ businesses are having bigger and bigger problems when trying to fill job offers.

The new generations consider these jobs as unattractive, as they usually entail long working days and poor payments: wages are usually lower than in other jobs.

The German Federal Employment Agency provides information of job vacancies in its webpage. In addition, job boards, such as Jobbörse, and the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, also publish job offers.

Those who want to work in Germany must know that the long term unemployment protection system has been changed.  From this point on, if the beneficiary rejects a job offer, 30% of the allowance will be cut back for a minimum period of three months; if the beneficiary rejects a job offer for the second time, the percentage of the cut back is 60%, and if he/she does it for a third time, he/she will no longer receive the allowance. Moreover, if the beneficiary is under 25 years old, he/she will stop receiving the additional contribution to pay for rent and heating expenses.