News – Arbeitgeber aktuell

BDA AGENDA 16/23 | COMMENT OF THE WEEK | July 27, 2023

Damian Boeselager
MEP, co-founder and MEP of the pan-European political party Volt

90% of companies in Germany find it difficult to find staff - according to the latest surveys by the Federal Employment Agency. The reason is easy to find: One in five people in Germany is now over 66, one in two over 45. Not only does this have an impact on company growth, it also puts a strain on social insurance schemes, pension funds, hospitals and care facilities and many other services, especially in rural areas.

Over the coming years, our labor market will change, which is why lifelong learning must always remain part of our response. The placement of jobseekers can improve if we train more flexibly and permanently. But even an increased employment rate can do little to counter the demographic trend. Without immigration, the pressure on our economy will continue to increase.

The second immigration law in two years is intended to remedy this situation in Germany. But we Germans are still thinking from a domestic perspective and less from the perspective of those for whom we want to become attractive. The legal situation is becoming more open, but also more complicated. And what do potential customers say about this?

The majority of people who want to leave their home country would rather go to Australia or the USA than to Europe. Even under Trump, the USA was more attractive than the European continent. There are two remarkable aspects to this: firstly, of course, that even a xenophobic US president with laws that are decidedly against migration does not make Europe look more attractive; and secondly, that Germany does not appear in these surveys - Europe does! People who want to migrate are not primarily thinking about individual European member states.

Europe plays a much more important role in the issue of migration than the German government is willing to admit. Even the largest European labor market is no match for the USA. If I lose my job as an immigrant in New York, I can look for a new one in San Francisco, LA, Miami and Chicago. If I lose my job in Berlin, my only option is the German labor market. Everywhere else, the visa process starts all over again.

If you think from the customer's perspective, you have to think European and keep the customer experience and customer journey in mind.

Those considering moving to Europe should be presented with a European website that provides sufficient information and shows specific ways to register their interest as soon as possible. The next step should be to generate concrete opportunities for jobs and visas. This is why I called for the introduction of an EU Talent Pool at the beginning of 2020, which matches foreign workers with job vacancies. An EU Job Tinder, if you like.

Quick procedures are needed after the match! It is unacceptable that workers we urgently need sometimes wait years for their visas - despite job offers and complete documentation. If the right to family reunification exists, it is an absolute no-go that people sometimes wait years to live with their families. Some people leave Europe disappointed because of this.

And then we urgently need to think about our labor market in European terms. If someone wants to move to another European country simply because there is a more exciting job there, then structures should not stop them. It should be possible to work anywhere in Europe quickly and easily without any disadvantages and still be able to take further steps towards integration (settlement permit or citizenship). Attracting talent is difficult - but retaining it is not a sure-fire success either!

From now on, let's think migration in a more European way instead of stewing in our German juice. Then migration will be the miller's delight again!