Germany Can’t Find Workers — So It’s Hiring From India
Germany is continuing to face a shortage of skilled workers as older employees retire and too few younger people step in to replace them. To address this growing challenge, the country is increasingly looking abroad, particularly to India, for new talent.
Germany faces a workforce crisis as retirements rise, prompting businesses to recruit young Indian workers to fill gaps across trades and industries.
For Handirk von Ungern-Sternberg, the process began in February 2021 with an unexpected email from India. The message explained that there were many young, motivated individuals interested in vocational training and asked whether there might be opportunities in Germany.
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At the time, von Ungern-Sternberg was working at the Freiburg Chamber of Skilled Crafts in southwest Germany. The organization represents a wide range of trades, including bricklayers, carpenters, butchers, and bakers, along with the companies that employ them.
The email arrived at a moment when employers were struggling to find staff. Many businesses were urgently searching for workers but could not recruit locally. Faced with this situation, von Ungern-Sternberg and his colleagues decided to explore the proposal.
One of the first industries they contacted was the butchery sector, which had been facing a particularly severe decline. Over the years, the number of small, family-run butcher shops had dropped significantly, from 19,000 in 2002 to fewer than 11,000 by 2021. Recruiting young apprentices had become increasingly difficult.
According to Joachim Lederer, head of the local butchers’ guild, the trade requires hard work, and for more than two decades, young people have chosen different career paths instead.
Back in India, the agency that sent the initial email, Magic Billion, began recruiting candidates. It selected 13 young people who traveled to Germany in autumn 2022 to begin apprenticeships in butchery. They were placed in small towns near the Swiss border and combined work with college-based training.
Among them was 21-year-old Anakha Miriam Shaji. Like many others in the group, it was her first time leaving India. She described her excitement at the opportunity, explaining that she wanted to explore the world, improve her living standards, and benefit from better social security.
Anakha was placed with Lederer in Weil am Rhein, a town located at Germany’s southwestern edge near both Switzerland and France.
Since then, the initiative has grown significantly. Von Ungern-Sternberg has since left the chamber and co-founded a new agency, India Works, together with Aditi Banerjee of Magic Billion, to bring more young Indian workers to Germany.
From the initial group of 13, there are now around 200 Indian workers employed in butcher shops across the country.
Germany’s labor shortage is closely linked to demographic changes. A 2024 study indicated that the country needs about 288,000 foreign workers each year to maintain its workforce. Without this, the labor force could shrink by 10% by 2040.
As the baby boomer generation retires and birth rates remain low, there are not enough young Germans entering the workforce. In contrast, India has a large population of young people, many of whom are seeking employment opportunities.
According to Banerjee, India has hundreds of millions of people under the age of 25, but only a fraction enter the workforce each year, leaving a large surplus of labor.
India Works is planning to bring 775 additional young Indians to Germany this year to begin apprenticeships in a variety of trades, including road construction, mechanics, stonemasonry, and baking.
Recent policy changes have made this process easier. A migration agreement signed in 2022 between Germany and India simplified pathways for skilled workers. In 2024, Germany also increased the annual visa quota for Indian workers from 20,000 to 90,000.
Official figures show that the number of Indian workers in Germany has risen sharply, from 23,320 in 2015 to 136,670 in 2024.
Many of the young Indians who move to Germany cite similar reasons for doing so. These include difficulty finding jobs in India, higher wages in Europe, and the desire to build a better future.
For example, Ishu Gariya, aged 20, decided against pursuing a university degree in India after considering the potential costs and low wages. Instead, he moved to Germany and became a baker’s apprentice in a rural area. Despite long working hours and cold weather, he says he is satisfied with his decision and hopes to support his family financially.
Another example is Ajay Kumar Chandapaka, who moved from Hyderabad to work for a logistics company near Freiburg. Although he holds a degree in mechanical engineering, he struggled to find employment in India and chose vocational training in Germany as a better option.
Employers have also highlighted the importance of these workers. Lederer, who now employs several Indian apprentices, said his business would not have survived without them. He noted that many similar shops in his area have closed over the years.
The need for workers extends beyond private businesses. In Weil am Rhein, local authorities are also recruiting from abroad. The mayor, Diana Stöcker, has announced plans to bring in workers from India to fill teaching positions in kindergartens after struggling to find candidates within Germany.
Stöcker, who was elected mayor in 2024, acknowledged that the shortage of skilled workers affects multiple sectors. She stated that looking overseas is the only viable solution to meet the country’s labor needs.
