New government website will help non-EU citizens find a job in Germany

The German government has approved plans to launch its “Work and Stay” platform, which should make it easier for non-EU skilled workers to find a job and settle in Germany.

German government approves “Work and Stay” platform

The German government has approved the launch of a “Work and Stay” recruitment website, which it aims to use to attract non-EU skilled workers to fill job vacancies in Germany.

The platform will coordinate job offers for non-EU skilled workers looking to move to, or already living in, Germany. Skilled workers will receive guidance on applying for a visa, having their foreign qualifications recognised, renting a flat, enrolling in a German language course or an integration course.

According to Section 18 (3) of the Residence Act [AufenthG], a “skilled worker” is a non-German or non-EU national who has successfully completed a qualified vocational training or higher education program.

Plans for the “Work and Stay” website were initially announced as part of the CDU-SPD coalition agreement in May. The government has now confirmed that the website will launch over the course of 2026.

Why is Germany looking to attract skilled workers?

Germany is currently facing a record-high worker shortage. Between 2015 and 2023, Germany's average annual economic growth rate sat at 1,2 percent. According to a report published by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in January 2025, over the next four years, this rate is expected to decline to 0,4 percent per year, and will hit 0 percent by 2029 unless migrant workers fill vacancies. 

The institute predicts 4,7 million existing employees will leave the German labour force between 2024 and 2028, and due to a declining birthrate, the country does not have the working-age people it needs to fill these vacancies.

This demographic shift is expected to throw the country’s pension system out of balance. The current statutory pension system is a pay-as-you-go scheme, in which the working population pays for the benefits of those currently in retirement. 

In 1992, 2,7 people working people funded the pension payments of one retired person. According to 2023 figures, this burden falls on 2,1 people. Unless Germany’s working-age population grows, by 2030, just 1,5 people will be responsible for paying the pension of one retiree.