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RE:Because of this, Germany stepped up its search for foreign workers
"200179 published on 2019-12-19 15:24:44
On December 16, the financial times website published titled "concerns the state of the economy in Germany to look for foreign labor" reported that Germany is gearing up to attract more foreign Labour from outside Europe, as business leaders and politicians have warned that the German widespread lack of skilled workers bring economic increasing risk.A decade of economic expansion has pushed unemployment in Germany's Labour market to a record low, with companies struggling to fill 1.36 million vacant jobs, the report said. Despite a marked slowdown in economic growth this year, 56 percent of companies said a lack of skilled labor was their biggest risk, according to a survey released by the German chamber of commerce and industry on Dec. 16."Many German companies are desperately looking for skilled workers - even at a time of economic weakness," said erich schweitzer, President of the German chamber of commerce and industry.In the construction industry, he added, nearly 80 percent of companies said employee shortages were the biggest problem they faced. In health care, the figure is even higher.The report was released ahead of a "summit on skilled Labour" in Berlin's chancellery. At the summit, politicians, business leaders and union representatives will discuss the Labour crisis.The meeting was called by German chancellor Angela merkel. She recently said that Germany was at risk of losing businesses and made clear that the shortage of qualified workers was a political priority."We know that many businesses are desperately looking for qualified workers," she said. That's why we must try to find enough workers. If we don't, companies will leave Germany -- and we certainly don't want that."Germany had 1.36 million vacant jobs in the third quarter of 2019, up from 873,000 four years earlier, according to the employment institute, the report said.This year, Germany passed an immigration law aimed at helping job seekers from outside the European Union find work in Germany. Eu citizens have the right to settle and work anywhere within the eu, but workers from countries such as India and Russia are not, and often face huge administrative and legal hurdles.The law, which will come into force in March, will open Germany's entire Labour market to workers from outside the eu, not just in specific industries where workers are in high demand. Companies will no longer have to prove that no domestic candidate can take the jobs they provide. Even if they are not offered a job, migrants can enter Germany in search of work.German business leaders generally welcomed the law, although they were concerned that some obstacles remained."It is the business's job to find skilled workers," hubertus Herr, the federal labor and social security minister, told German radio. Then we are responsible for removing the administrative hurdles.""