Workers With Immigration Background Dominate Sectors Facing Labor Shortages in Germany

More specifically, employees with an immigration background represent 67 per cent of the workforce in construction and drywall construction in 2023. In food production, they represent 51 per cent of the employees, whereas among bus and tram drivers, 46 per cent of the workforce belongs to this category.

Foreign-Born Workers & Others With Immigration Background Represent Over a Quarter of Germany’s Economy

In the German economy as a whole, over a quarter (26 per cent) of all employees in sectors with labour shortages had an immigration background, which means that they had themselves immigrated to Germany since 1950 or both parents had immigrated to the country since then.

In general, these workers are also dominating other sectors with labour shortages, such as meat processing (42 per cent), food sales (41 per cent), freight passport professional drivers (37 per cent), elderly care (31 per cent) and metal construction (30 per cent).

On the other hand, occupations where people with an immigration background have the smallest representation is the insurance sales (13 per cent), police service (six per cent), public administration (nine per cent), teachers (around ten per cent) and commercial and technical business administration (12 per cent).

People With an Immigration Background Remain Least Represented in These Occupations

This category of workers was the most underrepresented in 2023 in the following occupations:

Public administration (ten per cent)
Defense and social security (ten per cent)
Insurance (13 per cent)
Energy supply (14 per cent)
Financial services (15 per cent)
Education (17 per cent)

However, catering and accommodation are two of the occupations where workers with an immigration background are largely represented. More than half of all dependent employees in the catering industry in 2023 had an immigration history. The same goes for those who work in building, cleaning, gardening and landscaping, where 49 per cent of employees were immigrants or their parents had migrated to Germany in the 50s.