There were approximately 1.24 million job vacancies in Germany during the third quarter of 2018, an increase of 140,000 when compared to the third quarter of 2017 and the highest level ever recorded, according to data from the Federal Employment Agency’s Institute for Employment Research (IAB).

When broken down by geography, the data showed that approximately 950,000 vacancies were in western Germany and 290,000 were in the east.

Meanwhile, demand for personnel in the manufacturing sector increased sharply during the third quarter, where the number of vacancies rose by almost a third within one year and now stands at approximately 160,000.

“The figures compiled by the IAB show that the balance of power in the German labour market has turned into a candidate market, in particular due to demographic change and steadily increasing employment,” the IAB stated. “As a result, HR is also experiencing a major transformation that has crucial consequences for recruiting. After all, employers must now present themselves more than ever as an attractive employer.”

Sebastian Lazay, President of the Federal Employers Association of Personnel Service (BAP), said that it was important to continuously “optimise the recruitment process, because the challenges in recruiting are very complex.” He added that a central aspect in this labour market is to “strengthen the appeal of the employer using, for example, employer branding.”