Fewer foreigners seeking jobs in Germany, but U.S. interest rises

The German labor market has apparently become less attractive for foreigners: The proportion of job searches from abroad in the first four months of this year fell to its lowest level since 2022, the Düsseldorf-based job portal Indeed announced on Thursday, citing the analysis of IP addresses. However, in some countries, Germany is gaining in attractiveness – particularly in the USA and Ukraine.

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In April, the share of visits to job postings in Germany on Indeed was 4.3 percent. According to the data, it was one percentage point higher a year ago. People from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, in particular, clicked significantly less frequently on ads from German companies.

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The trend was opposite for people from the US and Ukraine. The share of job seekers with Ukrainian IP addresses in all international searches rose significantly from 1.5 to 3.2 percent. "Demand also increased noticeably from the US," Indeed explained. The share rose from 5.1 to 6.8 percent.

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This means that most foreign job seekers now come from the USA, followed by Austria and France. Indeed labor market expert Virginia Sondergeld described this as "remarkable." "After all, moving from the United States to Germany would involve significantly more effort than moving from one of Germany's neighboring countries." There is much evidence to suggest that "political factors" play a role in this development.

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For the study, Indeed says it is examining the percentage of clicks on German job postings from job seekers with IP addresses from abroad. Job seekers whose location could not be determined are therefore excluded from the analysis.