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Germany is facing increased skills shortages. Germany is looking abroad for highly skilled immigrants to fill vacancies in skilled occupations.
New proposals endorsed by the German cabinet will exempt mechanical and electrical engineers, automobile builders, and medical professionals from rules which allow German firms to hire overseas workers from outside the EU only after they have gone to a great deal of trouble to show that they cannot find suitable candidates who already have the right to work in Germany.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, said that German companies wanting to hire non-EU professionals will no longer be required to produce certification from the Federal Labour Office confirming that there are insufficient resident workers available.
Due to an aging population, Germany could face a shortage of 6.5 million professional and skilled workers by 2025. More immigration is needed right now to deal with current and future skills shortages.
"This is only just the beginning and more needs to be done," Merkel said.
Germany is normally very conservative on non-EU immigration. Many companies complain about the high wage requirements required to bring in non-EU labour.
