Germany slumps to 15th place in OECD study on attracting skilled labour
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BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany has slumped to 15th place in a ranking of OECD countries according to their ability to attract highly-skilled workers from abroad, a study released on Thursday showed.
The study, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development with the support of Germany’s Bertelsmann Foundation, listed New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and Australia as the countries with the best conditions.
“Germany needs skilled workers to secure its prosperity, also from abroad,” said Bertelsmann Foundation CEO Ralph Heck. “The international comparison clearly shows what Germany needs to do in order to make the migration of skilled labour, which is so important for our country, even better.”
Germany ranked 12th when the study was last conducted in 2019. While conditions in Europe’s largest economy have not worsened, other countries have implemented measures to improve conditions for foreign workers, the OECD said.
Unlike better-ranked countries, however, Germany continues to require a minimum amount of capital for people willing to migrate and social acceptance of migrants is lower than in its OECD counterparts.
There is a growing shortage of skilled workers in Germany due to the country’s ageing population and other factors.
In January, the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) said that more than half Germany’s companies are struggling to fill vacancies due to the shortage.
(Reporting by Friederike Heine; Editing by Paul Carrel)