Overview

• Germany faces a skilled labor shortage exacerbated by demographic shifts, with severely disabled individuals identified as a key untapped workforce resource.
• The Bundesagentur reports 180,000 unemployed severely disabled individuals, with an unemployment rate of 11.6% compared to 7.3% for the general population.
• Severely disabled workers are, on average, better qualified than the overall workforce but have a significantly lower employment rate of 51.4% versus 80% in the general population.
• Nearly half of unemployed severely disabled individuals are over the age of 55, reflecting an older demographic profile within this group.
• The Bundesagentur is actively debunking labor market myths, such as the misconception that disabled workers cannot be dismissed once hired.