Signite's Magazine

Patient advocates and nursing associations in Germany have expressed alarm at the increasing shortage of staff in nursing homes. Christine Vogler, President of the German Nursing Council, emphasised: ‘In many places, nursing care in Germany is no longer guaranteed’.  In inpatient long-term care alone, there is a shortage of around 115,000 full-time professional carers. At […]

Rashid Hamid now has over 300,000 followers on Instagram. It all started with the fact that he wanted to post a few videos from his everyday life as an outpatient carer, showing excerpts from his working day. He hadn’t expected it to go so viral. The success of the “carer with heart and soul” lies […]

Companies active in the building cleaning trade in Germany remain pessimistic about the future. According to a survey by the industry association, business is stagnating for around half of all companies, with a quarter even expecting a slight decline. This is not due to the poor order situation. The biggest obstacle to future growth is […]

In Germany, the statutory minimum wage is the absolute lower limit for the payment of labour. In many sectors, trade unions and employers have agreed on minimum wages that are higher than the statutory minimum wage, in some cases very significantly. We show you the industry minimum wages for some sectors and explain in advance […]

Economic downturn or not, the metal and electrical industry in northern Germany is still in great need of skilled labour. Depending on the company, there is currently a shortage of between 10 and 20 per cent of skilled workers. According to a survey by the Nordmetall trade union, around 42,000 skilled workers are currently being […]

Carers employed in public institutions, i.e. those belonging to the state, will receive more money in the first half of 2024. From 1 March, nursing staff employed in public institutions will receive more money. This is the result of the agreement reached in collective bargaining for the public sector at federal and municipal level. Their […]

According to the latest Skilled Labour Report from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), more than 80 percent of German companies fear negative consequences for their economic development due to labour shortages. The labour shortage is already forcing 40% of companies to reduce their own range of services, while others are losing orders, […]

The German Professional Association for Nursing Professions (DBfK) has accused hospital employers of not taking enough action against the shortage of nursing staff. There is too often a lack of introduction of more attractive roles for nursing staff and modern, i.e. more flexible working time models. The reform of hospital structures currently being discussed by […]

The Federal Cabinet approved the draft of the Nursing Competence Act yesterday, Wednesday. The aim of the act is to involve specialist nursing staff more closely in patient care and to make better use of their skills. This would enhance the status of their work and motivate them. In addition, doctors would be relieved of […]

In many sectors in Germany, there is a lack of qualified personnel. The Centre of Competence for Securing Skilled Workers (KOFA) of the employer-related German Economic Institute (IW) has published a new study on this topic. According to the calculations, the sector most affected is healthcare. According to the study, the greatest bottlenecks in this […]

The number of people in need of care in Germany has risen much more sharply in recent years than the number of people employed in the care sector. It is also taking longer and longer for vacancies in hospitals and nursing homes to be filled, while at the same time unemployment among nurses and care […]

The renowned Bertelsmann Foundation has published a new study according to which Germany needs hundreds of thousands of immigrants per year to meet its labour needs in the coming decades. Around 280,000 international workers would have to start each year until 2040 in order to prevent the potential of the labour force from collapsing. The […]

A major reform is to create a new basis for hospital care in Germany. The Bundestag (lower house of parliament) was followed today by the Bundesrat (upper house representing the federal states) in approving the reform. A number of hospitals have experienced financial problems in the recent past, partly due to the previous system, and […]

The federal state of Brandenburg has launched a digital platform to facilitate the recruitment and integration of international nursing professionals. The online portal ‘Working in Nursing’ offers comprehensive information for professional nursing staff from abroad. The platform offers advice and support as well as practical assistance on topics such as entry, work permits and German […]

The Institute for Employment Research in Nuremberg announced that in June 2023, almost 1.7 million employees subject to social security contributions were working in nursing care. According to the study, the increase in specialist nursing staff is due exclusively to foreign employees working in Germany. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of foreign employees in […]

The industry trade union IG BCE and the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies are warning of impending competitive disadvantages and a weakening of innovative strength. The most important reason for this is the significant shortage of labour. This applies to laboratories as well as to production halls and research departments in the industry. According […]