Thuringia needs foreign workers for economic stability!

Thuringia needs foreign workers for economic stability!

In Thuringia, a lot is happening on the job market: A look at the current figures shows that more and more people will leave working life in the coming years. The age of the population plays a crucial role here, because the so -called "baby boomers" retire and leave gaps that urgently need to be filled. According to the regional directorate of the Federal Working Agency, immigration of foreign labor is essential for economic stability in Thuringia. Markus Behrens, Managing Director of the Authority, emphasizes that long -term economic growth is only possible through the extraction of foreign workers. This is also confirmed by the Demographic report 2024, which illuminates the effects of demographic change on the world of work in Thuringia and shows necessary approaches.

The numbers speak for themselves: In recent years, the number of foreign workers in Thuringia has increased from 6,600 in 2010 to an impressive 78,700 last year. Almost every tenth employee in Thuringia now comes from abroad. While the number of German, social security employees has continuously decreased since 2017 - from 778,000 to around 720,000 - there is a clear trend: More and more foreign employees are taking on important roles in business.

The origin of foreign workers is particularly interesting. Most employees came from Poland (approx. 14,700) in 2022, followed by Romanians (9,200) and Syrians (5,400). In addition, in 2024 there was the largest increase in employment among Ukrainian workers, which were added by around 38 % compared to the previous year. These developments reflect the growing need for workers in various industries.

active industries and regional differences

In the processing industry, around 17,000 foreign employees work, while in temporary work 13,000 and 6,400 work each. The Sonneberg district is particularly striking, where the proportion of foreign workers reaches the highest value in Thuringia with 12.9 %. In contrast, there are only 4.4 % of the employees of foreign origin in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, which makes the regional differences in the labor market clear.

The need to supplement the potential for workers in Thuringia by immigration was not least presented in the publication by the Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure and Agriculture, which also deals with new forms of work and mobility in the 2024 demographic report. This study comes at exactly the right time to address the challenges of demographic change, especially with regard to securing equivalent living conditions in the Free State.

The changes in the world of work go beyond the numbers: The mobile way of working, which was promoted by digitization and experiences from Corona pandemic, offers new opportunities, especially for rural regions. Co-working is mentioned as an example of innovative approaches to living and working to increase the attractiveness of these areas.

These developments are not only important for the economy, but also affect the daily life of the people in Thuringia. Whether it is about the preservation of jobs or the creation of new perspectives for immigrants - there is definitely something. It remains exciting how the situation in Thuringia will develop and how the regional actors will react to the challenges.

For detailed information and current studies on these topics, we recommend a look at the corresponding reports: Demography-Portal and service agency demography .