The job market situation for academics has worsened in recent months. Boris Hartmann, a 59-year-old engineer from Weinstadt in Baden-Württemberg, has been looking for a new position for a year. After being laid off in February 2025 due to restructuring at his former IT company, he has sent out numerous applications but has only received generic rejections. "The feedback took a long time to arrive, and the rejections came quickly," Hartmann reports.
Jutta Rump, a professor at the University of Applied Sciences for Business and Society in Ludwigshafen, explains that the requirements for applicants have changed in many industries. "In the last twelve months, companies have reconsidered their hiring strategies due to the current crises and poor economic conditions. They are more cautious and would rather not hire anyone than engage someone without the right qualifications," says Rump.
Dirk Werner from the Institute of the German Economy (IW) points out that despite the rise in unemployment, many companies are still looking for skilled workers. "At the end of last year, there were 370,000 job openings that could not be filled due to the skilled labor shortage," explains Werner. This indicates a mismatch between employers' requirements and applicants' qualifications.
The challenges in the job market are not only due to qualifications but also to the age of the applicants. Hartmann suspects that many employers prefer younger candidates who may be better at handling artificial intelligence. This trend could further complicate the job search for older academics.
