3/29/2026

Germany's labor shortage

 

Germany is Europe's largest economy. Companies like Volkswagen, Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW make some of the most famous cars in the world. Germany is also a leader in renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.

Germany is facing a massive labor shortage because many older workers are retiring and the birth rate is falling. There are not enough young people to fill hundreds of thousands of job vacancies.   According to a report by the Bertelsmann Foundation think tank, Germany’s labor shortage is of about 288,000 workers per year and the workforce will shrink by 10% by 2040.

On the other hand, India is a country with 600 million people below the age of 25. Only 12 million come into the workforce every year. So there's a huge labor surplus.

Germany is trying to fix their shortage problem by asking workers from India to fill many vacancies. Germany‘s goal is to attract people to work in engineering, healthcare, and manufacturing as well as nurses, caregivers and  IT professionals.

The German government is making it easier for Indian people to get visas. For example, last year Germany increased the number of visas available to Indians from 20,000 per year to 90,000. 

Visa approval time for Indian applicants is now just two weeks.  Before 2024 it was nine months.  The visa application process became fully digital, eliminating the need for in-person consulate visits. 

Official Germany figures show that there were 136,670 Indian workers in the country, up from 23,320 back in 2015.

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Article adapted from DW and NDTV



  


2/23/2026

How did potatoes change the world? (video)

 



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German potatoes - The Kartoffel-Flut

 


They are calling it the Kartoffel-Flut: the potato flood. Germany, the largest producer of potatoes in the European Union, together with Belgium, France and the Netherlands are enjoying the biggest harvest in a generation, owing to optimal growing conditions. Last year’s yield was 17% higher than the long-term average..

In fact, there are so many potatoes—one farm near Leipzig had a surplus of 4,000 tons—that farmers are giving them away. There are 200 distribution points in Berlin. Schools, homeless shelters and even the zoo are stocking up.  The Berliner Tafel, a food bank, took 22 tons.

The potato is filling and calorie-dense relative to other vegetables. It is used in an extraordinary variety of meals. The organizers of the giveaway launched a recipe challenge to inspire Kartoffel cooks, sharing tips for soups, salads and plenty more.

After the potato discovery by Spanish conquerors in the Andes, the potato became a staple food worldwide. Potatoes now feed over 1 billion people in more than 150 countries. Crop failure can have disastrous consequences. After the harvest in Ireland was infected and lost in 1845, 1 million people died and almost 3 million emigrated.

To avoid famine, in 1756 Frederick the Great of Prussia issued a “potato decree” that obliged farmers to plant potatoes on at least a tenth of their land. Local traditions say that his royal guards protected potato fields for farmers to think it a precious crop. Today visitors leave potatoes on Frederick’s tomb at Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam. 

  


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Article from The Economist  (edited)



 

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