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Germany's Employment Agency Chief Says Jobseekers' Prospects Hit Record Low

She urges a training-first approach to fix a skills mismatch that quick placement rules will not solve.

Overview

  • Andrea Nahles cites a Bundesagentur indicator showing reemployment probability at 5.7 versus a usual level around 7, marking the lowest reading to date.
  • She describes the labor market as flat for months with no momentum for unemployed people to reenter work.
  • Nahles warns the planned Bürgergeld placement priority could backfire if qualification profiles are ignored, arguing that targeted training prevents rapid returns to job centers.
  • Entry-level prospects are weak, with the fewest youth placements into vocational training in 25 years and a call for more geographic and occupational flexibility.
  • She says no group is entirely insulated from job loss, though well-qualified workers still fare best, and her comments add pressure to the reform debate without signaling an immediate policy change.