Is German still required to work in Germany?

Is German still required to work in Germany?

A new report from the online job board Indeed has highlighted the percentage of jobs in Germany that do not require German language skills, comparing local language requirements across other European countries.

Is German Language Necessary?

Though Germany is often perceived as having a multilingual work environment and currently ranks 10th in the international English Proficiency Index, a new report by Indeed suggests otherwise. In the millions of Germany-based job listings posted between September 2023 and August 2024, only 2.7% of roles specified that German was not necessary.

By contrast, in the Netherlands, 7.8% of jobs did not require the local language; in Spain, it was 5.8%; in France, 4.1%; and in Italy, 3.9%.

Economist Lisa Feist from Indeed noted that the German economy could benefit from more language flexibility, which could ease the labor shortage and support migrant integration. Feist suggested that this shift would require openness from companies and a willingness from German speakers to communicate in English.

German Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil and Federal Employment Agency Head Andrea Nahles expressed similar views, emphasizing the need for more companies to hire refugees with basic German skills and to consider pragmatic approaches to language acquisition. In October, Nahles proposed that Germany could take lessons from the Netherlands, where Dutch proficiency is not always essential for entry-level jobs.

German Language Skills and Earnings

Indeed's findings align with a 2019 study by the Institute for Economic Research (IW) in Cologne, which showed that migrants with stronger German skills tend to earn more in Germany. The IW study also found that highly skilled migrants often outperform less-qualified native Germans in language tests, highlighting the value of German language acquisition for workplace integration.

However, the 2025 federal budget plans to cut funding for integration courses in German from €1.1 billion to €500 million, potentially shifting the financial responsibility for language learning to job seekers and employers. Experts warn that these cuts may hinder the integration of newcomers into the German job market.

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