Saxony through change: foreign employees shape the labor market

Saxony through change: foreign employees shape the labor market

Görlitz, Deutschland - The number of employees with a foreign passport in Saxony has recorded a remarkable increase in the past ten years. While around 32,300 foreign workers were still working in jobs subject to social security contributions in 2014, this number rose to a good 141,600 by the end of June 2024. This represents a quadruple that raises the proportion of foreign employees from 2.1 % to 8.6 %, as Diesachsen.de

Companies in Saxony are more dependent on international workers than ever. Over 22 % of the companies have already employed employees from abroad, and the number of relevant companies has doubled since 2015. A total of around 131,000 foreigners in Saxony, often work in industries such as transport, hospitality and healthcare. The proportion of foreigners is particularly noticeable in the hospitality industry with 50 % and in logistics with 31 %. These trends are part of a comprehensive statistical evaluation of the Federal Employment Agency, which shows that the proportion of foreigners in Saxon employment is the highest, while the majority of these workers work in qualified positions.

where are foreign employees most often?

in Saxony are the highest proportions of foreign employees in the Görlitz district with 12.5 %, followed by Leipzig with 10.8 %and northern Saxons with 10.1 %. In contrast, the shares in the Ore Mountains (5.8 %) and middle Saxony (5.9 %) are rather low. Despite the increasing share of foreign workers, many companies are fighting with challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences and legal uncertainties that can make integration difficult.

A constant emigration threatens the shortage of skilled workers

But there are also dark sides: Tens of thousands of foreigners from Saxony move every year, which could further tighten the shortage of skilled workers on the labor market. Minister of Economics Martin Dulig estimates that around 150,000 international workers will be needed by 2030 to fill the gaps. The number of paths rose from 15.065 in 2010 to 28,506 in 2022. The decline is not only due to the emigration to other federal states, but also to refugee Ukrainians who also burden the labor market, such as wirtschaft-in-sachsen.de reported.

A study by the Federal Employment Agency shows that a quarter of the respondents are leaving Germany for non-recognized qualifications or a lack of suitable positions, while others emigrate for reasons of residence. The discrimination of highly qualified specialists is mentioned as another factor that leads to emigration.

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