Within the space of a year, more than 288,000 German citizens have moved abroad. This is confirmed by data from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (source in German) (Destatis).
A recent survey commissioned by the job platform Indeed suggests that the trend is continuing: since 2020, the number of searches for international job offers has more than doubled.
Plans to move abroad are particularly widespread among top earners.
More than one in two respondents with a household net income of at least 6,000 euros (54 percent) said that in the past twelve months they had applied for jobs abroad or sounded out the international labour market.
Two thirds of respondents said they generally think about taking a job abroad. Around 30 percent had already actively searched for positions or sent off applications.
Of those interested in going abroad, 77 percent want to live outside Germany for several years or even permanently.
According to Indeed, many would-be emigrants are looking for classic office jobs, for example in marketing. Jobs in technology, hospitality and logistics are also in high demand.
Higher income, better quality of life
The Indeed survey also examines what is driving people to consider emigrating.
Most frequently, employees cite the prospect of a higher income and a better quality of life (around 51 percent in each case). Around 42 percent also hope for a more pleasant climate or a lower burden of taxes and social charges abroad. Better career and promotion prospects, by contrast, are decisive for significantly fewer respondents (24 percent).
Virginia Sodergeld, labour market economist at Indeed, sees international mobility as positive in principle, as the experience and knowledge gained abroad can provide impetus for innovation and the development of new business opportunities.
However: “If two thirds of employees are flirting with the idea of leaving, that should also be understood as a sign of dissatisfaction with the conditions in Germany as a place to live and work,” the expert said.
It seems that many people consider the burden of taxes and social contributions in Germany to be too high: out of 100 euros in labour costs that an employer spends on an average single employee, the employee in Germany keeps only about half (50.70 euros net). The rest goes on income tax and social-security contributions paid by both employees and employers.
This is reflected in the survey results: 70 percent of respondents believe that the tax burden in Germany is too high in relation to income and that personal commitment at work does not pay off sufficiently.
These destinations are particularly in demand
Which countries are attracting those willing to move? With 14.4 percent of all search queries, the United States continues to top the ranking of the most popular emigration destinations. Compared with the previous year, however, interest has clearly waned: the number of queries fell by 34 percent.
In second and third place are the United Kingdom and Switzerland, each accounting for 13.6 percent. The United Kingdom, where search queries rose by 38 percent, as well as the United Arab Emirates and India (each up 24 percent), have become significantly more attractive. Australia also recorded an increase of ten percent compared with the previous year.
Security versus dynamism
Germany’s strengths, by contrast, lie mainly in areas that are often less decisive for highly sought-after international specialists, as they stand more for security and reliability than for opportunities for professional development. Some 60 percent of respondents cited the social environment as Germany’s greatest advantage, followed by employment protection with 47 percent and the welfare system with just under 35 percent.
According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), around 97,000 more Germans emigrated than returned last year. That is the highest net loss since 2017.
The picture is very different for people without a German passport: here Germany recorded net immigration of more than 200,000 people.
And in recent years it has not only been refugees who have come to Germany: there has also been a marked increase in highly qualified professionals from third countries such as India. Many of them work in the IT sector, for example in software development, artificial intelligence and digitalisation, but also in engineering and research roles.