Both at the same time. This is not a shortage of people.
Germany has been talking about a skills shortage for years. The gap has almost halved since 2022, and in two out of three occupations it does not exist at all. The real problem is fit: between occupation and region, between requirement and applicant, between qualification and recognition.
The longer a position stays open, the thicker the line. Each notch is a repost.
The agency itself
„There is no general shortage of labour or skilled workers. According to the skilled labour shortage analysis of May 2026, shortages appear above all in nursing occupations, in medical occupations and in construction and craft trades. Cooks, professional drivers and childcare workers are also sought.“
Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit · as of July 2026
Chapter 1.3.1, paraphrased
What it actually fails on
- 1
Fit
The Federal Employment Agency counts — shortage occupations out of — occupational groups. In roughly two thirds of all occupations there is no shortage. Anyone speaking of a general shortage means one third.
- 2
Region
In Bavaria there is roughly — unemployed skilled worker per registered position, in Berlin the figure is —. The same occupation is scarce in the south and plentiful in the east.
- 3
Requirements
A position counts as unfillable when no suitably qualified unemployed person is registered. Suitable means: by skill level and occupational group. How narrowly an employer cuts its profile therefore helps decide whether its position appears as a shortage in the statistics.
- 4
Access
For many occupations qualification alone is not enough. Recognition procedures, chamber admission and proof of language decide who may take an open position at all.
What we measure and what we don't
We measure how long a job stays open
Every listing is checked daily. A job that is reposted for the fourth time in nine months is not a vacancy, it is a signal. Standing time and repostings are the two numbers an employer cannot talk away.
We measure how many people compete for it
Applicants per 100 jobs, by occupation and by district. The same job title can mean a multiple of the competition from one district to the next. National averages hide exactly the thing you need to know.
We measure what would legally block you
Recognition of your qualification, required German level, visa route, salary threshold. If one of them closes the door, we say so first, before showing you anything else.
We do not measure fit, motivation or culture
No score of you as a person, no ranking of employers, no advice on how to write a better application. Vianora is not legal, migration or career advice. Access requirements are decided case by case by the responsible authority.
Where the figures come from and how often they change
| Data | Source | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Official labour market figures | Federal Employment Agency, IW Köln | monthly |
| Shortage analysis and time to fill | Federal Employment Agency | twice a year |
| Observed job postings | own survey via Adzuna | daily |
What changes daily are the postings. The official figures appear monthly. We show both separately so it stays visible what is current and what is not.
Germany
What the labour market actually looks like. By occupation, by region, over time.
For job seekers
Which occupations are genuinely open, and which of them you are allowed to work in.
For employers
Why your position stays open, and who inside the country could fill it.
Apprenticeship market — Unfilled places and unplaced applicants exist at the same time.