New entrants into the German labour market are taking longer than ever to secure their first job, even as the country faces a shortage of skilled workers. According to a response from the Federal Ministry of Labour to a request from the Greens that the “Handelsblatt” reported, more than one‑fifth of recent graduates needed over six months after completing their training to start working. Among graduates with university degrees the figure climbed to 23 percent.
In 2018, roughly one in four new graduates entered the workforce within a month, a milestone that now applies only to one in five. The average unemployment spell after finishing an apprenticeship has risen by about 19 days since 2019, reaching 134 days-almost four and a half months. “The federal government confirms that it is becoming increasingly difficult for many young people to enter the job market” said Green labour‑policy spokesperson Sylvia Rietenberg in an interview with “Handelsblatt”.
The Greens are alarmed that the government seems unaware of the combined impact of weak economic conditions, structural transformation, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence on entry‑level employment. Rietenberg criticised the ministry for not knowing how many first‑time positions have disappeared or been reconfigured by AI: “Those who take young people seriously must actively shape this change, and to do so they first need a clearer picture of the situation”.
