Germany is facing a severe shortage of care personnel as the number of people in need of care has nearly doubled in recent years, while the number of caregivers has risen comparatively slowly.
The information, provided by the Labour Ministry, came in response to a query from far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) member of parliament René Springer and was made available to dpa.
Many people working in the caregiver industry are immigrants and the AfD wants to sharply curtail immigration. The Expert Council on Integration and Migration estimated that in 2022 some 30% of the workforce in elder care had an immigration background.
The Labour Ministry data showed there were 2.9 million people in need of care in Germany in 2015 – but this rose to 5.6 million by the end of 2023. During the same period, the number of employees in hospital and elderly care facilities contributing to the government’s social security system rose from around 1.5 million to only about 1.85 million or about 23%.
The data also showed that it is taking increasingly longer to fill vacancies in hospitals and nursing homes, despite a rise in unemployment among nurses and carers.
In October, according to the Federal Employment Agency, around 34,000 care vacancies were reported. On average, it now takes three-quarters of a year (269 days) to fill a vacancy in hospital care. In 2015, this was 136 days.
In elderly care, it took even longer in October at 296 days, while in 2015, vacancies were left unfilled for only half as long on average (152 days). In 2023, the figures were even worse than this.
60,000 unemployed nurses and carers
As the recruitment of staff in hospitals and nursing homes becomes increasingly difficult, the number of unemployed registered care workers is simultaneously rising.
In elderly care, there were nearly 40,000 unemployed care workers in 2023 – 5,000 more than in 2015. In hospital care the figure rose by 8,000 to 20,000.
Referring to the significantly increased proportion of unemployed foreigners in the sector, the AfD’s Springer criticized the government’s skilled labour strategy.
He argued, “Instead of foraging in foreign labour markets, the existing potential in our own country must finally be activated.”
The Labour Ministry’s figures did not distinguish between those with or without a migration background.
