According to the head of the Federal Employment Agency (BA), the chances for unemployed people in Germany to find a job have Andrea Nahlesreached a low point. “We have an indicator that shows how likely unemployed people are to find a job again. The value is usually around seven, but now it is 5.7 – lower than ever before,” Nahles told the news portal Web.de. The job market has been “like a board for months” and there is “no momentum,” said Nahles.
From the BA boss’s point of view, there is currently no group of employees that is immune to job loss. “But the well-educated still have the best chances on the job market,” she said. The prospects for job starters are poor. “We have had fewer young people placed in training than we have in 25 years.” Nahles advises job starters not to get stuck in one career choice. Regional mobility is also helpful when looking for a job. “There are often jobs, just not on your doorstep.”
Mediation priority can be problematic
The former SPD chairwoman also expressed criticism of the planned citizen’s benefit reform. The cabinet decided in mid-December that To replace citizens’ money with a new basic securitywhich provides for tougher rules and sanctions. In the future, so-called placement priority for the unemployed will also apply. However, this regulation could become problematic if attention is not paid to the qualification profile of individual unemployed people, said Nahles.
The skills of job seekers “often do not match the vacancies”. “Priority placement doesn’t change that,” said Nahles. Qualification remains important: “Otherwise people will be back at the job center’s door after three months,” said Nahles.
