At the conclusion of 2023, Germany recorded 419,000 foreigners holding work permits.
KEY POINTS
• By the conclusion of 2023, approximately 419,000 non-EU residents possessed work permits in Germany.
• Germany also housed around 113,000 EU Blue Card holders by the end of the same year.
• Women predominantly comprised the skilled workers with vocational training category, while male foreign workers dominated other sectors.
The tally of foreigners holding temporary residence permits for employment in Germany reached an all-time high by the end of 2023, with the country recording 419,000 individuals with such authorization.
This figure marks a substantial surge compared to 2007, when only 76,800 foreigners were granted permission to work in Germany.
According to the German Federal Statistical Office, Destatis, the influx of labor migrants from non-EU nations has steadily increased since 2010.
While modest growth was observed in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic, 2022 and 2023 witnessed significant increases, with an additional 56,000 and 68,000 labor migrants arriving each year, respectively, representing a 19% rise annually.
EU Blue Card Holders Dominated the Foreign Workforce in 2023
As of the end of 2023, a total of 113,000 individuals held EU Blue Cards in Germany.
Blue Card holders comprised over a quarter of all labor migrants that year and had the highest probability of employment in the country due to their qualifications.
The EU Blue Card is granted to highly skilled foreign workers and allows them to reside in the EU for employment purposes.
According to Destatis, the majority of EU Blue Card holders in Germany hail from India (33,000), Russia (10,000), and Turkey (8,000).
To be eligible for an EU Blue Card, highly qualified non-EU workers must possess a university degree, relevant qualifications, and a specific job offer with an annual gross salary of at least €56,400.
A High Number of Skilled Workers Received Permits in 2023
Germany also issued a significant number of permits to skilled workers in 2023.
By the end of the year, approximately 49,000 skilled workers with academic training held residence permits for employment.
These professionals were most frequently of Indian (6,000), Chinese (4,000), or Turkish (3,000) nationality.
Additionally, around 52,000 foreign skilled workers with vocational training possessed residence permits, marking a 26% increase compared to 2022.
Bosnian-Herzegovinian and Filipino nationals comprised the largest groups among skilled workers with vocational training, each totaling 7,000 individuals.
22% Increase in Workers from Western Balkans
Following the Western Balkan Regulation, the influx of workers from the Western Balkans to Germany also surged.
By the end of 2023, approximately 76,000 individuals from the Western Balkans held work permits in Germany, reflecting a 22% increase compared to 2022.
Kosovo nationals formed the largest group among Western Balkan workers, with 20,000 individuals legally employed in Germany.
In 2023, Germany issued the highest number of residence permits for employment to males, with around 281,000 male workers holding permits.
Female workers predominated only in the skilled workers with vocational training category, comprising 58% of residence permits for employment by the end of 2023.