독 Labor Office Chief: "Labor Population to Decrease by 150,000 This Year... Need to Increase Immigrants"

Detlef Scheele, President of the German Federal Employment Agency
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Detlef Scheele, head of the German Federal Employment Agency, stated that Germany needs more immigrants to mitigate the impact of the declining labor force.

According to the AP news agency on the 24th (local time), Scheele emphasized in an interview with the German daily S?ddeutsche Zeitung that Germany's labor force is expected to decrease by nearly 150,000 this year, and more immigrants must be accepted. He explained that the shock of the labor force decline due to aging must be reduced. He also warned that the labor force will decline more sharply in the future.

Germany's current population is about 83 million. Last year, the number of foreign residents in Germany increased by about 204,000. This is a 1.8% increase compared to 2019, the lowest growth rate in 10 years.

Due to the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis and other factors, the number of refugees and immigrants in Germany has been increasing since 2015. Correspondingly, resistance to immigrants and refugees has also grown. The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has expanded its influence by opposing refugees. AfD currently holds 88 seats, making it the largest opposition party in Germany. The expansion of immigration could also affect the German general election to be held on the 26th of next month.

Scheele said, "You can say we don't need foreigners, but then we cannot work."

Voices criticizing Scheele emerged from AfD, calling his demands incomprehensible. AfD member Ren? Springer sarcastically said, "Scheele is acting as a spokesperson for companies trying to lower wages through immigrants."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.