Germany eager to attract foreign workers

Skilled workers from around the world could find it easier to live and work in Germany, if the nation backs a proposed new visa.

The "chancenkarte" would incorporate a points system to ensure the European economic powerhouse of 83 million people prioritizes overseas workers with the skills it needs the most.

The nation's minister of labor, Hubertus Heil, is fleshing out the idea and will unveil the details in the coming weeks.

"In some areas, companies are urgently looking for skilled workers," Reuters quoted Heil as saying. "Securing skilled workers is securing prosperity in Germany."

Reuters said the chancenkarte will be fluid, with annual quotas of workers needing to be recruited set for each sector.

Successful applicants will need to have a degree or vocational training certificate recognized in Germany, three years' of relevant experience, and some proficiency in German. They will also have to be aged 35 or younger.

The requirements will not call for people to have a job offer before moving to Germany, which means qualified people will be able to get a visa and then move to Germany in search of work. They will, however, need to prove they can afford to live in Germany before they will be allowed to enter.

Heil and Interior Ministry Minister Nancy Faeser explained the idea recently in an article they wrote for business newspaper Handelsblatt.

"If we want to attract clever people, we have to offer them more than just simpler processes," they wrote. "We're competing in the search for skilled labor with countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia."

Germany's Institute for Employment Research, or IFO, reported this week that the nation had 1.74 million job vacancies.

The Munich-based organization said the shortage of workers during July impacted nearly 50 percent of the 4,000 companies it surveyed, with most saying they reduced production as a result, which drove up inflation.

The IFO said the service sector suffered the most; with hotels and event management the hardest hit of all. It said there were also shortages of trained engineers, information technology experts, and mechanics, as well as shortages of less skilled workers in the warehousing sector, manufacturing, and retail.

The IFO survey found 43 percent of manufacturing companies in Germany had skilled worker shortages during July, compared to 38 percent during April.

Nicolas Bunde, an industry expert at the IFO, told Reuters: "Manufacturers of machinery and equipment are feeling the effects of layoffs they carried out before and during the coronavirus pandemic. Now these companies are desperately seeking suitable staff. "

An example of Germany's labor shortage came this week when Lufthansa, Europe's second-largest airline by passenger numbers, said it was looking to recruit 20,000 employees; with 12,000 of those set to fill new positions and 8,000 to replace people who left during the pandemic.