AZR survey

Scientific study on skilled labour immigration

Due to demographic change, the domestic labour supply in Germany will face significant decline. This labour shortage could, however, be mitigated by increased immigration of skilled workers. In view of the demographically driven shortage of skilled workers, the successful promotion of labour migration is key not only from a labour market policy perspective but also from a broader societal perspective: it secures long-term innovative strength, competitiveness and the financing of social security systems.

With the Law on the Further Development of Skilled Labour Immigration (FEG 2.0), which has been gradually coming into force since 18 November 2023, the Federal Government has significantly expanded the legal framework for immigration from third countries. However, there is as yet no survey data providing systematic information on the plans, motivation, visa experiences and initial integration steps of labour migrants who have recently immigrated. To this end, the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) is conducting a survey of this group in cooperation with the Research Centre of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF-FZ). It is being conducted as part of an evaluation of FEG 2.0 on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI).

In cooperation with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), a representative random sample will be taken from the Central Register of Foreigners in order to invite recently immigrated holders of selected work and education visas (including the Opportunity Card, EU Blue Card, skilled worker and IT visas) by post to participate in a 20-minute online survey. The aim is to gain insights into the working and living situations of the respondents, as well as their intentions to stay or return. In addition, if consent is given for record linkage, the survey data will be linked to the Integrated Employment Biographies (IEB) of the IAB. This linkage is intended to provide reliable information on participation in the labour market.

This linkage with IEB register data and the focus on previously under-researched visa categories such as the Opportunity Card creates an internationally unique and representative data set. This will, for the first time, provide policymakers, public authorities and researchers with evidence on how the latest changes to immigration law are playing out, where processes can be improved, and which factors deter early onward or return migration. The results thus provide an evidence-based foundation for the further development of skilled labour strategies and integration offers.

Contact

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the researchers involved by email: iab.projektfeg20@iab.de

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