A newly released study from the German Institute for Economic Research’s Competency Center for Skilled Workforce Security (KOFA) reveals a complex and potentially concerning shift in the nation’s healthcare labor market. While the overall shortage of skilled workers across the German economy has demonstrably eased, with unfilled positions shrinking by approximately 18% compared to the previous September, the sector-specific findings paint a picture of structural realignment driven – and potentially exacerbated – by the ongoing hospital reform.
The most striking statistic highlights a dramatic reduction in the shortage of medical office assistants. The gap, previously a significant concern, has plummeted by 88% to just 206 unfilled positions by the third quarter of 2025. However, concurrent with this improvement is a sharp increase of 24% in vacancies for specialized nurses in specialist hospitals, now totaling 1,265 unfilled roles.
Study author Jurek Tiedemann cautions against interpreting the dwindling need for medical office assistants as a sign of long-term stability. He directly attributes the apparent improvement to the hospital reform initiatives driving increasing specialization within the healthcare system. This restructuring, while intended to optimize resources and improve patient care, appears to be strategically reallocating personnel, rather than meaningfully addressing underlying labor shortages.
The deeper, systemic problem remains unchanged: Germany’s aging population continues to fuel a rising demand for healthcare services while simultaneously diminishing the available workforce. The demographic shift is compounding the pressures on the healthcare system and the reduced need for general medical assistants should not obscure the continuing, critical shortage of specialized nursing professionals.
KOFA’s broader assessment confirms that despite the overall decrease in unfilled positions across the German labor market – now at roughly 367,000 – the skill mismatch remains substantial. The persistent shortage of workers with the appropriate qualifications suggests a need for targeted retraining programs and a fundamental reassessment of workforce planning in critical sectors like specialized healthcare. The current trend underscores a risk of unsustainable shifts in personnel allocation and a potential long-term vulnerability within Germany’s healthcare infrastructure.
