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Germany is one of the most important destinations for work and migration in Europe, yet several federal states are facing shortages of skilled labour in a wide range of fields. In this article, we highlight the ranking of the German states according to the level of demand for workers and the probability of finding a job in 2025. We provide approximate estimates of the number of vacancies as well as the key sectors and specialisations available in each state. This information is based on the latest statistics and official forecasts from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), together with recent economic studies.
1. Bavaria (Bayern)
Rank: First in labour demand.
Why?
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A powerful industrial and technological base: major companies such as BMW, Audi and Siemens in Munich, Ingolstadt and other cities.
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Tourism: the Alps and historic cities like Nuremberg attract millions of visitors every year, creating a constant need for workers in hotels and restaurants.
Estimated number of vacancies: over 250,000 jobs per year across different sectors.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Mechanical engineering and the automotive industry
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Information technology and software development
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Healthcare and nursing
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Hospitality and tourism
Job prospects: Extremely high, especially for people with technical qualifications and medical professions.
2. Baden-Württemberg
Rank: Second.
Why?
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A strong automotive sector (Mercedes-Benz, Porsche) and hundreds of medium-sized companies (Mittelstand) specialised in engineering and machinery.
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Research and development: cities such as Stuttgart and Karlsruhe are leading innovation hubs.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 220,000 jobs per year, mainly in industry.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Automotive engineering and engine design
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High-precision industries and robotics
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Medicine and healthcare
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IT and programming
Job prospects: Very high, especially for engineers and qualified mechanical and electrical maintenance technicians.
3. Hesse (Hessen)
Rank: Third.
Why?
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Frankfurt is a major financial centre, generating strong demand in banking and insurance.
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A large services and logistics sector: Frankfurt is an international hub for air and rail transport.
Estimated number of vacancies: about 150,000 jobs in various fields.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Finance, accounting and banking
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Management consultancy and insurance
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Information technology (FinTech)
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Logistics and freight forwarding
Job prospects: High, particularly for specialists in finance and financial technology.
4. North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)
Rank: Fourth.
Why?
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Germany’s most populous state (the Ruhr area), with a highly diversified economic structure: historically coal and steel, now shifting towards advanced services and renewable energy.
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Important media centres in Cologne and Düsseldorf.
Estimated number of vacancies: up to 200,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Industrial and chemical engineering
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Renewable energy and environmental technology
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Media and television production
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Marketing and sales
Job prospects: Medium to high, depending strongly on the qualifications required in the target segment of the labour market.
5. Hamburg
Rank: Fifth.
Why?
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The Port of Hamburg is one of Europe’s largest seaports, making logistics and transport key sectors.
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A strong services and media industry, with many publishing houses and advertising agencies.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 100,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Logistics and maritime transport
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Media and advertising
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Tourism and hospitality
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International trade
Job prospects: Relatively high, especially in logistics and international transport.
6. Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)
Rank: Sixth.
Why?
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Volkswagen plants in Wolfsburg.
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Strong agricultural sectors and food industries.
Estimated number of vacancies: about 90,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Automotive industry and supplier industries
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Agriculture and food processing
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Logistics and distribution
Job prospects: Medium, with higher chances in industrial cities such as Wolfsburg and Hanover.
7. Berlin
Rank: Seventh.
Why?
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The political capital and a major hub for tech start-ups.
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A booming tourism and hotel sector.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 80,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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IT and software development
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Digital and creative marketing
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Hospitality and tourism
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Government and public administration
Job prospects: Medium; competition is strong, but the market can absorb many technical and creative talents.
8. Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)
Rank: Eighth.
Why?
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A powerful wine and agricultural industry along the Rhine and Moselle, plus a network of industrial and technology firms.
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Expansion in construction and real estate development in cities such as Mainz and Koblenz.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 60,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Agricultural engineering and food industries
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Logistics and cross-border trade
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Medicine and healthcare (university hospitals)
Job prospects: Medium; they vary significantly between major cities and rural areas.
9. Saxony (Sachsen)
Rank: Ninth.
Why?
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“Silicon Saxony” in Dresden offers many opportunities in semiconductor technology.
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Car manufacturing (BMW, Volkswagen) in Zwickau and Leipzig.
Estimated number of vacancies: about 55,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Mechanical and electrical engineering
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Semiconductor and microchip technology
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Tourism and culture (Dresden, Leipzig)
Job prospects: Medium to high, especially for technically qualified workers.
10. Schleswig-Holstein
Rank: Tenth.
Why?
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Coastal tourism and ports on the Baltic Sea.
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Growing focus on renewable energy, particularly wind power.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 45,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Hospitality and hotel industry
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Renewable energy and environmental technologies
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Agriculture and fishing
Job prospects: Medium, especially during the tourist season and in green energy projects.
11. Brandenburg
Rank: Eleventh.
Why?
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Proximity to Berlin creates many jobs in transport and logistics.
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Expanding solar and wind energy.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 40,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Transport and logistics
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Green energy
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Agriculture and rural services
Job prospects: Medium, but improving with urban expansion around Berlin.
12. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Rank: Twelfth.
Why?
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Coastal tourism along the Baltic Sea.
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Limited but important agricultural and maritime projects.
Estimated number of vacancies: roughly 30,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Tourism, hotels and restaurants
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Agriculture and fishing
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Health services in tourist cities
Job prospects: Medium, with more opportunities during the holiday season.
13. Saarland
Rank: Thirteenth.
Why?
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Border location with France that favours cross-border trade.
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Remaining metal and mechanical industries linked to its traditional industrial heritage.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 25,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Cross-border trade
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Mechanical and automotive industry
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Logistics
Job prospects: Medium, particularly for people who speak both German and French.
14. Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt)
Rank: Fourteenth.
Why?
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Chemical production in areas such as Leuna and Bitterfeld.
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Agriculture, notably cereals and sugar beet.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 20,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Chemical industries
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Food processing
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Agricultural and logistics services
Job prospects: Below average; they vary depending on the local industrial areas.
15. Thuringia (Thüringen)
Rank: Fifteenth.
Why?
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Medium-sized industrial cities such as Erfurt and Jena.
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A relatively modest agricultural and forestry sector.
Estimated number of vacancies: roughly 15,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Light industry and precision/microelectronics
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Health and education services
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Agriculture and forestry
Job prospects: Relatively limited compared to the larger western states, but improving thanks to expanding technology projects.
16. Bremen
Rank: Sixteenth (last).
Why?
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The smallest German state, with about 0.68 million inhabitants, and therefore comparatively fewer vacancies.
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Relies heavily on the ports of Bremen/Bremerhaven and on the aviation industry.
Estimated number of vacancies: around 10,000 jobs per year.
Key specialisations and fields:
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Logistics and port services
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Aerospace industry (e.g. Airbus)
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Maritime trade
Job prospects: Medium, but can be high for specialists in maritime and logistics-related occupations.
Conclusion
Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hesse clearly lead in terms of the number of vacancies and the demand for skilled workers, benefiting from strong automotive, technology and financial sectors. Densely populated states such as North Rhine-Westphalia remain major centres of diverse employment opportunities, even though competition there is more intense. In the remaining states, job prospects largely depend on the scale of industrial or tourism investments and on the development of the green energy sector.
In short, the German labour market up to 2025 is experiencing a noticeable shortage of qualified workers in technology, engineering, healthcare and nursing, as well as a high demand for skills in services and tourism. It is essential for people who wish to work in Germany to search for opportunities in the state that best matches their qualifications and language skills, keeping in mind that large cities and industrial hubs offer more options, but also tougher competition.
*The team of writers and editors on our website strives to provide accurate information through extensive research and by consulting multiple sources when preparing articles. Nevertheless, errors may occur or some details may not be fully verified. For this reason, the information contained in our articles should be treated as an initial reference only. To obtain definitive and reliable information, readers should always consult the competent authorities and official bodies.
