Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Reduce Skill Mismatch Among Migrants in Germany’s Health Sector?

Beschreibung

"Most industrial countries face considerable demographic challenges, especially in the health and care sectors. The working conditions within a country are key to attracting workers from other countries. One of the greatest barriers for migrant workers is problems transferring foreign qualifications, often causing overeducation, which has negative effects on job satisfaction, and mental and physical health. In Germany, where almost 80% of health workers are female, overeducation is similarly low among migrant and native men, but approximately twice as high among migrant women as among native women. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic strongly increased the demand for health workers. This study examined the effects of this increased labor demand on the overeducation of migrant and native health employees. The analysis was based on data from the 2013–2021 German Socio-Economic Panel, including 2,961 native-born and 1,081 foreign-born health employees. Descriptive and fixed-effects estimation results revealed that a significant pandemic-related reduction in overeducation observed in the health sector predominantly occurred among female health employees who migrated as refugees and family migrants from non-European Union countries. To reduce overeducation also in the absence of unusual situations such as the pandemic, support in transferring foreign qualifications is highly relevant, and this effort should specifically focus on women. Furthermore, expanding public childcare and removing obstacles to its use by migrant women are important for urgently needed existing qualifications, knowledge, and skills not to remain unused." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer Nature) ((en))

Zitationshinweis

Fendel, Tanja (2026): Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Reduce Skill Mismatch Among Migrants in Germany’s Health Sector? In: Population Research and Policy Review, Jg. 45. DOI:10.1007/s11113-026-10030-6