On Being Grateful to Have a Job
Reflections on the job market in Germany. Our community has a bleak outlook on the economy. A job rejection 48 years later. One in seven Berliners are depressed.
Personal News & Musings
🫣 Sometimes, I’ll overshare and/or rant a bit.
A recruiter I follow posted a message this week: “Be grateful to have a job right now.”
That simple message resonated with me. We’ve seen massive layoffs in Germany over the past two years and may see way more. Times have changed, opportunities aren’t as abundant, and it’s taking people longer to find work. There are also fewer English-speaking jobs available in the local market.
We haven’t even seen AI's impact yet. Companies like Klarna and Salesforce plan to lay off hundreds of people due to automation made possible by AI. If these trends continue, our future will look a whole lot different.
It’s got me thinking about how to remain relevant and what future-proof actions I can take. My first thought was to enroll in a German class to upgrade my language skills—it fits into my plans as I want to get dual citizenship anyway. In the meantime, I cling to the comfort of having a job and feel immensely grateful.
During this time, we should support one another as much as possible. Small actions can have a considerable impact on someone else’s life. If your company is hiring, refer a friend. Give shoutouts to former colleagues on LinkedIn. Ask your network who’s hiring and share those opportunities on social media. Send your friends to local events where networking is welcomed.
For any of our community members looking for work, hang in there! Keep up your search—it may take longer, but something will eventually happen. And see the footer of this email for information about how The Berlin Life can help you.
Community News
🤝 News from our community.
Our last poll asked: How do you feel about Germany's future economic prospects? Our community thinks it’s looking grim, as 39% of respondents claimed to feel pessimistic, and another 30% said they didn’t know.
Take part in this week’s poll. 👇
This week’s featured Berlin Life guides: Why It’s So Important To Learn German in Berlin and Why Knowing Salary Ranges In Germany Is Essential.
Read last week’s newsletter: People Are Still Happy to Change Jobs Right Now. For our past editions, see the archives.
Check out our partners and save your precious Euros: Find an apartment in Germany with Homelike. Use BERLINLIFE50 for €50 off your first booking.
Food For Thought
💡 Articles about tech, the world of work, & other random things.
Looking to make some extra money on the side? Consider these passive income ideas.
A timeline with predictions of the future of work - all the way to 2074.
A 40-year CEO shares HER secret to productivity and how she prioritizes her work after founding a successful business.
A woman in the UK received a rejection of her job application … 48 years later. She’d applied to be a stunt rider!
Gen Z is experiencing more wealth than previous generations, and I’m soooo darn jealous.
Nintendo is making an alarm clock so you can wake up to Mario and Zelda sounds.
President Macron wants Emily in Paris, to stay in Paris even though the show has teased her move to Rome. I think an Emily in Berlin would be way more entertaining.
Plastic bottle caps in Europe have been redesigned to reduce litter and are blowing tourists' minds.
Companies Hiring
🇩🇪 Companies in Germany that are hiring right now.
Deutsche Welle (Berlin & Bonn, 10 jobs, DE &/or EN required - other languages a bonus)
Hashtag You (Berlin, 2 jobs, DE & EN required)
innn.it (Berlin, 1 job, EN required, DE strongly desired)
Skyseed (Berlin & Külsheim, 4 jobs, DE required)
Wayfair (Berlin & Lich, 28 jobs, DE &/or EN required)
WePlanet (Remote in Germany, 1 job, EN C1 required)
🇩🇪 German startups that recently raised new funding may also have vacancies.
Building Radar (€6.5 M) | Munich | Jobs
forward earth (€4.5 M) | Berlin | Jobs
Phantasma Labs (Undisclosed seven figures) | Berlin | Jobs
PropTech Mietz (Undisclosed seven figures) | Berlin | Jobs
Purpose Green ($15 M) | Berlin | Jobs
ℹ️ We share new job postings daily on LinkedIn. Follow us.
News in Germany
🗞️ All of the news in Germany.
General Happenings
Three German universities made it into the world’s top 50.
Official stats from the health insurance companies confirm that 450,000 people in Berlin are depressed. That’s one in seven people.
Thankfully, Berlin was able to avoid a kita strike, and speaking of kids, there are also major plans to reform Germany’s adoption laws.
The German government plans to launch an app that allows you to show a digital form of ID. Sadly, it’s limited to German citizens only.
Politics & Economy
Berlin hasn’t been “poor but sexy” for the longest time, and it’s now one of the three most expensive cities in the country.
Germans fear many things, and the rising cost of living is one of them.
Rents will increase for 90,000 tenants in Berlin next year as state-owned landlords have little choice but to raise the monthly fees.
Labor Market
Tesla recently sent managers to visit sick employees at home, but can they do that?
Family-owned businesses in Germany need to groom their next generation but struggle to find people to fill the positions. Could this be an opportunity for others?
A sign of the times, forming unions is on the rise in Germany.
Immigration Insights
Do you need to learn German to work in Germany? The answer is more complex than you might think.
The FDP has proposed a law allowing non-EU residents to vote in local elections.
Not Germany, but relatable: Hear stories first-hand from immigrants who migrated to the EU, one living in Rome and another in Sofia.
Fun, Interesting, and/or Useful
Berlin was named the City of the Year in the Food and Travel Awards.
Aside from Haribo, have you ever wondered if there are bears in Germany?
Take a spooky Halloween-themed day trip from Berlin to the ruins of Beelitz-Heilstätten.
A gigantic butternut squash, 62.2 kilos in weight, garnered Germany a world record for being the heaviest one grown to date.
A German language controversy is in the making, with purists claiming English has too much influence after the approval of the “idiot’s apostrophe.”
A post from Berlin Reguided once again smashes that myth about Germany's efficiency.
Ways We Can Help You
😇 Useful stuff served up by the Berlin Life.
Connect with other professionals in Germany with our LinkedIn Connect & Exchange list.
Settle into your new life in Germany and save money with our partners on insurance, banking, and more.
Read our 50+ free guides to living, working, and moving to Germany.