Staff shortages continue to be one of the biggest problems in Germany. And it will become even more acute in the future. This has a lot to do with the ageing German society. According to a study by the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, 5.7 million people in need of care can be expected by 2030, rising to 6.4 million by 2040. This would be an increase of 14 and 28 per cent compared to 2021. This will result in an additional need for 322,000 inpatient care places by 2040.

More staff will be needed to care for the increasing number of people in need of care. By 2040, a total of 163,000 to 380,000 additional full-time employees are expected in inpatient care and 97,000 to 183,000 in outpatient care. Of these, between 124,000 and 210,000 additional nursing staff will be needed in inpatient and outpatient care by 2040.

In recent years, wages for nursing staff in Germany have risen significantly, noticeably more in geriatric care than in hospitals. There are therefore many job opportunities for foreign carers and, thanks to the new immigration law, this will also apply to nursing assistants in the future.