Germany’s labor market is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Current data from the Federal Employment Agency reveals that all employment growth in the country since 2024 has been thanks to foreign workers.

 

Employment growth among German citizens, however, is steadily weakening with the aging of the population. This situation is critically important, especially for the hotel and gastronomy sectors, which require intensive human labor.

 

Demographic Pressure Transforms the Labor Market

 

According to Federal Employment Agency data, between 2014 and 2024, the number of German citizens of working age decreased by approximately 3.9 million, while the foreign working-age population increased by approximately 3.4 million.

 

This development indicates that Germany's labor potential would have shrunk much more severely without immigration.

 

During the same period, 43 percent of employment growth originated from third-country nationals, and 26 percent from workers coming from the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The share of German workers in the total growth remained at approximately one-third.

 

The Federal Employment Agency also points out that the share of foreign workers in professions where personnel shortages are most acutely felt has risen from 7 percent to approximately 14 percent since 2014.

 

Germany's Labor Potential Begins to Shrink

 

According to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Germany's labor market is increasingly approaching its demographic limits.

 

The Institute expects Germany's total labor potential to slightly decline for the first time in 2026.

 

This development not only makes it more difficult for companies to find staff but also transforms human resources planning into a strategic priority.

 

Even if the economy experiences periodic slowdowns, the competition for skilled labor is not expected to disappear.

 

Hotel and Gastronomy Sector Particularly Affected

 

The hotel and gastronomy sectors are among the most intensely affected by the demographic transformation.

 

According to data presented by the German government to the Bundestag Tourism Committee, as of January 2024, foreign nationals constituted approximately one-third of socially insured employees in tourism, hotel, and gastronomy professions.

 

When only the gastronomy and accommodation sectors are considered, the share of foreign workers rose to 41 percent, while the proportion of third-country nationals reached 24 percent.

 

During this period, approximately 430,000 foreign nationals were employed as socially insured workers in the sector, with about 262,000 of them coming from countries outside the European Union.

 

The figures show that the employment of international personnel is no longer an exceptional practice in the German tourism and gastronomy sector but has become one of its fundamental elements.

 

Share of Foreign Workers in Gastronomy Reaches 44.5 Percent

 

Data from the German Hotel and Gastronomy Association (Dehoga) also reveals the sector's dependence on foreign labor.

 

Approximately 2.2 million people worked in Germany's gastronomy and accommodation sector in 2025.

 

As of November 2025, the proportion of foreign nationals among socially insured employees rose to 44.5 percent.

 

This situation shows that the sector largely sources its labor from the international market, and this trend is expected to strengthen further in the coming years due to Germany's aging population.

 

Economic Pressure Exacerbates Staffing Problems

 

The timing of this development is also critically important for the sector.

 

According to data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the real turnover of the gastronomy and accommodation sector decreased by 2.1 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year.

 

In a period when profit margins are under pressure, incorrect personnel selection, long-vacant positions, and reduced working hours due to staff shortages lead to higher costs for businesses.

 

Therefore, a long-term, sustainable, and predictable personnel strategy is becoming increasingly important for hotels and restaurants.

 

Shortages Grow in Kitchen, Service, and System Gastronomy

 

According to an analysis by Kofa, affiliated with the German Economic Institute, regarding the hotel and gastronomy sector, there is a serious staff shortage, particularly in system gastronomy and service areas.

 

It is estimated that 49.2 percent of vacant positions in system gastronomy cannot be filled due to a lack of suitably qualified employees.

 

In gastronomy service, there is a shortage of over 600 trained and qualified personnel.

 

These two occupational groups are said to account for more than half of the total shortage of qualified employees across the sector.

 

Foreign Apprentices Also Shape the Sector's Future

 

The importance of the international workforce is not limited to current employees alone.

 

According to Kofa data, the proportion of young foreign nationals starting vocational training in the hotel and gastronomy sector reached 44.3 percent in 2023.

 

In some professions, this rate rises to much higher levels. Foreign nationals constitute 59.3 percent of new apprentices in gastronomy service and 54.4 percent in system gastronomy.

 

According to Kofa, if it weren't for young people of foreign origin, the number of new vocational training contracts signed in the hotel and gastronomy sector would have decreased by 19.3 percent since 2019.

 

Foreign Workers Have Become an Indispensable Part of the Sector

 

Data shows that foreign workers in Germany's hotel and gastronomy sector are not only filling current staff shortages but also forming the future workforce.

 

It no longer seems possible for the sector to meet its personnel needs solely with Germany's young population.

 

Therefore, for hotels, restaurants, and other gastronomy businesses, sourcing personnel from abroad, attracting foreign youth to vocational training, and retaining existing employees in the sector long-term are among the key strategic issues that must be addressed together.

 

International Staff Recruitment Becomes a Mandatory Strategy

 

The Federal Employment Agency provides support to companies in Germany regarding sourcing personnel from abroad, work permits, incentive programs, and application processes.

 

For hotel, restaurant, and catering companies, the situation is becoming increasingly clear.

 

International staff recruitment is no longer a temporary solution resorted to only in emergencies.

 

Given the demographic developments in Germany, the permanent integration of foreign workers into recruitment processes is becoming increasingly essential for the sector's future.

 

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