https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Workers arriving in Germany in 2026 now have a new layer of protection, and specifically a clear right to receive information on labour counselling from day one. https://www.thelocal.de/20260428/foreign-workers-in-germany-are-now-entitled-to-free-employment-advice Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:02:05 +0200 foreign-workers-in-germany-are-now-entitled-to-free-employment-advice Do you travel between work sites through the work day? A recent European court ruling suggests that time generally needs to be paid in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20260422/when-does-your-employer-need-to-pay-you-for-travel-time-in-germany Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:07:36 +0200 when-does-your-employer-need-to-pay-you-for-travel-time-in-germany Experts have been warning for years about Germany's shortage of skilled workers. How bad is it – and what can be expected in the long term? https://www.thelocal.de/20260421/how-bad-is-germanys-skilled-worker-shortage-in-2026 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:29:50 +0200 how-bad-is-germanys-skilled-worker-shortage-in-2026 Germany is encouraging employers to give their staff a €1,000 tax-free bonus. Now the government plans to extend the time that firms are allowed to pay it out by six months. https://www.thelocal.de/20260421/germany-to-allow-tax-free-e1000-employee-bonus-until-next-year Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:59:31 +0200 germany-to-allow-tax-free-e1000-employee-bonus-until-next-year Wondering what's considered a good salary in Germany? New official figures reveal the latest median and average wages, as well as which industries pay the most (and least). https://www.thelocal.de/20260407/how-much-are-wages-increasing-in-germany Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:27:51 +0200 how-much-are-wages-increasing-in-germany The German government wants to allow firms to give their employees a tax-free bonus as part of measures to relieve residents amid rising fuel and living costs. We look at who could be in line to get it. https://www.thelocal.de/20260414/qa-who-will-get-germanys-tax-free-bonus Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:01:50 +0200 qa-who-will-get-germanys-tax-free-bonus Germany’s coalition government is pushing a number of healthcare reforms at the moment. In the background there are also discussions about cutting workers' entitlements to sick pay. https://www.thelocal.de/20260417/will-germany-tighten-its-rules-on-paid-sick-leave Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:24:53 +0200 will-germany-tighten-its-rules-on-paid-sick-leave Looking for a new role in Germany this year? Here are the professions growing in demand, and the regions where you'll find them. https://www.thelocal.de/20260213/listed-the-most-in-demand-jobs-in-germany-in-2026 Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:00:29 +0100 listed-the-most-in-demand-jobs-in-germany-in-2026 Launched in March, WE‑Fair is a new alliance intended to recruit skilled workers from abroad more fairly. Can it help plug Germany's labour gaps? https://www.thelocal.de/20260325/what-is-we-fair-and-will-it-solve-germanys-skilled-labour-shortages Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:28:51 +0100 what-is-we-fair-and-will-it-solve-germanys-skilled-labour-shortages Rising rents and an extremely scarce housing supply in Berlin can make moving to the German capital for work a daunting task. Here are seven more relaxed and affordable towns just a short commute away. https://www.thelocal.de/20260323/compare-the-best-commuter-towns-if-you-work-in-berlin Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:54:15 +0100 compare-the-best-commuter-towns-if-you-work-in-berlin Particularly for foreign workers, being hired in Germany on a fixed-term basis comes with a fair amount of uncertainty. So how many times can an employer extend a short-term contract before they need to offer an unlimited one? https://www.thelocal.de/20250408/how-many-times-can-a-short-term-job-contract-be-renewed-in-germany Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:05:33 +0200 how-many-times-can-a-short-term-job-contract-be-renewed-in-germany Emails and chat-apps have led to the blurring of lines between work time and personal time for many workers. If you work in Germany, you may be wondering what exactly your boss can ask of you. https://www.thelocal.de/20250818/qa-what-can-workers-in-germany-be-asked-to-do-during-vacation-time Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:07:21 +0200 qa-what-can-workers-in-germany-be-asked-to-do-during-vacation-time Four years after moving to Germany for his master's degree, Saad Arshad shares his top advice on language, jobs and managing expectations for people following in his footsteps. https://www.thelocal.de/20260320/the-community-is-growing-an-immigrants-guide-to-starting-a-new-life-in-germany Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:41:49 +0100 the-community-is-growing-an-immigrants-guide-to-starting-a-new-life-in-germany When do you actually need to file a tax return in Germany, and when can you safely skip it? The Local spoke to a tax lawyer to unpack exactly when filing pays off for foreign residents. https://www.thelocal.de/20260310/an-experts-best-advice-on-when-and-why-to-file-a-tax-return-in-germany Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:23:59 +0100 an-experts-best-advice-on-when-and-why-to-file-a-tax-return-in-germany Berlin is expected to need more than 500,000 workers in the next nine years. But while some sectors will see a boom in demand for workers, others will see jobs phased out. https://www.thelocal.de/20260311/which-jobs-are-desperately-needed-in-berlin-and-which-are-being-cut Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:43:15 +0100 which-jobs-are-desperately-needed-in-berlin-and-which-are-being-cut Volkswagen said Tuesday that it would cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030 as its profit slid to its lowest level since 2016. https://www.thelocal.de/20260310/volkswagen-to-cut-50000-jobs-in-germany-by-2030 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:03:59 +0100 volkswagen-to-cut-50000-jobs-in-germany-by-2030 Spring is arguably the best season for public holidays in Germany. Here’s how you can to turn a series of scattered days off into longer breaks with just a bit of forward planning. https://www.thelocal.de/20260303/how-to-make-the-most-of-germanys-public-holidays-this-spring Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:04:36 +0100 how-to-make-the-most-of-germanys-public-holidays-this-spring For the first time in 15 years, more EU citizens are leaving Germany than arriving. A new government study explains why. https://www.thelocal.de/20260304/why-are-so-many-eu-citizens-planning-to-leave-germany Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:47:42 +0100 why-are-so-many-eu-citizens-planning-to-leave-germany The number of Germans in employment is steadily falling as older workers retire. This makes foreign workers, including both skilled workers and working asylum seekers, increasingly important to the country's economy and social systems. https://www.thelocal.de/20260303/foreign-workers-increasing-in-all-sectors-in-germany-as-boomers-retire Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:43:38 +0100 foreign-workers-increasing-in-all-sectors-in-germany-as-boomers-retire With a spate of layoffs happening at German companies, many foreigners are wondering what losing their job could mean for their residence permit. Here's how long you have to find a new role - and what happens if you can't find one. https://www.thelocal.de/20241002/how-long-can-i-stay-in-germany-if-i-lose-my-job Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:19:07 +0200 how-long-can-i-stay-in-germany-if-i-lose-my-job