Where Migrants Work in Germany: Key Professions and Industries

Photo: Iamexpat.de

Every fourth employee in Germany has a migration background — the figure reached 26% in 2024, reports the country’s statistical office (Destatis). Migrants and their descendants tend to dominate in manufacturing, catering, elderly care, and passenger and freight transport.

Top Occupations: Plastics Manufacturing and Hospitality

Workers with an immigration background are most commonly employed in fields that attract few native candidates. In plastics and rubber manufacturing, the rate reaches 44%, while in hospitality it stands at 40%. Migrants are also essential in freight transport, where professional drivers account for 39%. The share in metal processing is 37%, in elderly care — 33%. Among freight forwarders and logistics specialists, migrants represent 32%, and in electrical engineering professions — 30%.

Their presence is minimal in the police (7%) and emergency services (8%). The share is also low in judicial and public administration, social services, and insurance — about 9%. There are few migrants among teachers — 9% in primary and 12% in secondary education. In tax authorities, they account for 10%, and in agriculture — 15%.

Industries: Catering and Cleaning

The proportion of people with migration backgrounds is also high across industries that heavily depend on such labor, including:

catering — 54%;

building maintenance (cleaning, gardening, landscaping) — 50%;

hospitality — 43%;

security, domestic staff, warehouse logistics and transport services — 42%;

postal and courier services, gambling and lotteries — 41%.

In large sectors employing over one million people — such as nursing homes and car manufacturing — the share of workers with migration backgrounds is 32%, above the national average.

Public administration, defense, and social security remain the least dependent on migrant labor, with shares of 12–15%. In insurance — 14%, in energy and agriculture — 15%. In education, where around 2.8 million people work, employees with foreign roots make up no more than 17%.

The data come from the 2024 microcensus covering about 1% of the population. According to Destatis, a person is considered to have a migration background if they or both parents moved to Germany after 1950.

Employment Dynamics

According to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), migrants not only fill many shortage occupations but also drive overall employment growth in Germany. Between 2005 and 2023, the number of employed people with migration backgrounds more than doubled, rising by 6.3 million, while employment among native Germans stagnated or declined. Migrants’ contribution has become a key factor supporting the German economy amid demographic decline.

Their labor market integration continues to improve. In 2005, only 58% of residents with foreign roots were employed, compared to 69% in 2023, and 75% among non-refugee migrants — almost matching the national average of 77%. At the same time, the share of welfare recipients fell from 8.7% to 5.4%.

Refugees integrate more slowly: even after eight years, their employment rate remains below 68%. IAB experts note that faster integration requires simplified procedures, early language training, and fewer discriminatory barriers.

Demographic Challenges

Germany’s labor shortages are deepening and will persist in the coming years. The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) estimates that between 2024 and 2028, about 4.7 million people will retire — nearly one in ten employees nationwide. This includes not only manual workers but also engineers, medical professionals, logisticians, and service staff. The exodus of experienced workers coincides with an economic slowdown, exacerbating structural staff shortages.

Over the past decade, the average age of Germany’s population has risen by almost five years to over 45. The country is losing working-age citizens faster than it can attract young professionals, while the baby boomer generation is gradually exiting the labor market.

Forecasts and Policy: A New Approach

Experts predict that Germany will need to attract at least 400–500 thousand new foreign workers each year. Authorities are trying to expand opportunities for newcomers while tightening certain rules. The updated Skilled Immigration Act (FEG) simplified the EU Blue Card procedure by lowering salary thresholds and easing qualification requirements. It also introduced a new category for skilled professionals with practical experience but no higher education, and a points-based system similar to Canada’s.

At the same time, the federal government is tightening regulations on migrants’ status and citizenship. In October 2025, Germany abolished the fast-track naturalization procedure that allowed citizenship after three years of residence and suspended family reunification for people with secondary protection status. Overall, the new administration has taken a tougher stance on migration, particularly toward refugees.