Gesteuerte Erwerbsmigration nach Deutschland

Abstract

"According to forecasts, the labour force potential would fall without migration by around one-third until 2060. Therefore, the German labour market will likely rely heavily on labour migration from third countries to stabilize the labour force potential in the coming years. However, in Germany, labour migration accounts for only 10 percent of all immigration from third countries. In contrast, in traditional immigration countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the share of labour migration varies from 30 to 40 percent. This low share of labour migrants in Germany is partly due to minimum criteria that guide the system of managing labour migration. Since these criteria all have to be met at the same time, they can have a restrictive effect. Therefore, a reassessment of the minimum legal criteria for labour migration is required to increase the influx of skilled workers. Labour migration to Germany requires a concrete job offer and a professional or university degree that is recognized as equivalent to a German degree. In addition, new entry possibilities to look for a job or training position have recently been introduced for those who can prove their German language skills. The equivalence recognition of qualifications is likely to be the most significant hurdle for the influx of skilled foreign workers, considering the specifics of the German education and training system. Given the high returns to the equivalence recognition of qualifications in the German labour market, recognition should be promoted. However, it is likely a significant increase in labour migration can be achieved only by simplifying this process. One possibility would be to require recognition of degrees only in regulated occupations to consider the risks associated with practicing these professions. In principle, a concrete job offer as a prerequisite for immigration makes sense, because it decreases unemployment risks and adjust the demand for foreign workers to changes in business cycles. German language skills do promote labour market integration. Expanding the opportunities for language acquisition abroad as well as after migration - in the latter case primarily through employer-organized programmes - can increase migration potential and facilitate labour market integration. However, since German is not a global language, it is not realistic to make German language skills a mandatory immigration criterion and, at the same time, significantly increase labour migration. The Federal Government introduced various legal changes to simplify the influx of skilled workers in 2020. Currently, further reform proposals are discussed. The proposed measures might be reasonable, but are unlikely to have a major impact. A greater impact requires, on the one hand, fundamental reforms of the recognition process. On the other hand, it should be examined whether immigration channels that do not require certified qualifications can be opened up under more restrictive conditions for residence. Evaluations of the so-called Western Balkans regulation shows that persons who have been granted a residence permit for employment under this regulation exhibit high employment stability and low risks of unemployment and benefit receipt. Immigration pathways that impose certified qualification requirements improves - as expected - the job match and increases earnings. The focus of a new law should therefore be on the immigration of skilled workers. However, the additionally high demand for unskilled labour should not be met by non-managed types of migration such as human migration. Finally, not only attracting skilled workers but also their integration into the labour market and society should receive a great deal of attention. Furthermore, since conditions for migration and labour market integration are constantly changing, implemented and proposed regulations should be continuously evaluated and reviewed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Adunts, D., Brücker, H., Fendel, T., Hauptmann, A., Keita, S. & Konle-Seidl, R. (2022): Gesteuerte Erwerbsmigration nach Deutschland. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 23/2022), Nürnberg, 88 p. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2223