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Germany SMEs struggle to hire foreign workers
A study by the development bank KfW reveals that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany are less likely to employ foreign workers compared to larger corporations. Only 11.5 percent of SMEs currently employ foreign experts, whereas 61 percent of companies with 50 or more employees report having foreign specialists on their staff.
Key obstacles to hiring international talent include language barriers, cited by over 69 percent of companies, and bureaucratic or legal hurdles, reported by 47.5 percent. The study notes that while the current economic weakness has temporarily lessened the immediate pressure of the skilled labor shortage, demand is expected to rise again during economic recovery.
Sector-wise, the industrial sector shows the highest engagement with foreign experts at 21 percent, followed by trade (14.3 percent) and the construction sector (13.3 percent).
Entities
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 69 percent of companies cited language barriers as an obstacle to hiring foreign workers. ekonomijaibiznis.mk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 61 percent of companies with 50 or more employees reported having foreign experts in their staff. ekonomijaibiznis.mk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 11.5 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany employ foreign experts. ekonomijaibiznis.mk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Companies in the industrial sector are the most likely to hire foreign experts at a rate of 21 percent. ekonomijaibiznis.mk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The demand for skilled workers will increase again as the economy recovers, according to KfW chief economist Dirk Schumacher. ekonomijaibiznis.mk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nearly half of the surveyed companies (47.5 percent) complained about bureaucratic and legal obstacles. ekonomijaibiznis.mk