Germany increasingly reliant on non-EU workers as baby boomers retire

New figures from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) have revealed more about Germany’s increasing reliance on non-EU migrant workers as baby boomers retire.

Nahles announces German unemployment figures

Chair of the German Federal Employment Agency, Andrea Nahles, has announced the country’s labour market statistics for February 2026. 

At a press conference in Nuremberg, Nahles’ headline was that unemployment rates are roughly the same as in January 2026. 3,07 million people are currently unemployed in the federal republic, 15.000 fewer than in January 2026, but 81.000 more than during the same period last year.

Nahles also highlighted Germany’s increasing dependence on migrant workers, and particularly non-EU migrant workers. As baby boomers retire, there are fewer German citizens to fill jobs. As people in Germany decide to have fewer children, the trend is forecast to continue.

According to the agency, in December 2025, around 5,89 million non-Germans were working in Germany and contributing to the social security system, 224.000 more than in December 2024.

Of these 224.000 people, 74.000 are Ukrainian nationals. 65.000 are nationals of the eight countries with the largest populations of people claiming asylum in Germany. Around 100.000 people awaiting a decision on their asylum application have already found work in Germany.

The CDU/CSU-SPD federal government recently announced the so-called “Sofort-in-Arbeit” (“Immediately into work”) programme, allowing asylum seekers to work after three months of living in Germany.

Nahles warned that the policy was unlikely to significantly reduce labour shortages, as it only benefits asylum seekers living in shared accommodation. 

DGB says gov’t should better prevent unemployment

Responding to the February unemployment figures, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to do more to prevent the overall unemployment rate from rising.

“Three million people are currently unemployed and without prospects,” DGB representative Anja Piel told the dpa.  “[T]here are far too few training places for young people starting their careers, sending hundreds of thousands of young people under the age of 25 without vocational qualifications into a downward spiral. At the same time, there is a shortage of skilled workers in many sectors.”

According to a February 2026 report from the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich, employers in almost all sectors in Germany plan to cut more jobs, particularly in the automotive sector. “Nevertheless, individual sectors such as IT service providers, and legal and tax consultants are still increasingly looking for new staff.”