Migrant perspectives: What are the fields of work upon arrival?

What kind of work do immigrants who have recently arrived in Germany do immediately after their arrival? Why do they choose this so-called “arrival work” and what are their goals in doing so? This form of gainful employment is examined in a new study by researchers from Kassel, who surveyed around 30 migrant workers about their professional experiences and prospects.

The study focuses on three occupational fields: catering, cleaning, and care are examined as key sectors for arrival work, as they often have a significantly higher proportion of migrant workers than regular, professional jobs. Care is the only sector that offers potentially permanent or long-term employment. The other two sectors are generally seen as temporary solutions due to their often precarious working conditions and lack of development opportunities. For example, respondents can imagine changing jobs after acquiring language skills or having training and qualifications from their country of origin recognized in Germany.

Overall, it appears that the three sectors examined are attractive to new immigrants due to their relatively low entry barriers and informal working conditions, but that they nevertheless aspire to more “skilled” jobs in the long term. The perception of other professions as socially more prestigious also plays a role here. However, the researchers also express concern that migrants do not take advantage of training and further education opportunities because they do not see themselves as a target group or simply lack knowledge about these opportunities – which can ultimately prevent them from changing careers or advancing professionally.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• Soft skills: More than half of the most sought-after skills among employees are soft skills. This is shown by a LinkedIn analysis of job advertisements and new hires in 2023. Particularly popular skills were communication skills, customer service, and leadership skills. Adaptability is also listed as the “skill of the moment.”

• Diversity in the workplace: The “Diversity Working Group,” which began its work at the German Foundation Council in 2022, aims to create an inclusive and diversity-sensitive work culture. A profile now reveals more about the working group's activities and goals.

• Economic policy: The Growth Opportunities Act is intended to provide relief for German middle-class businesses, but is currently being blocked in the Bundesrat by the CDU and CSU. For this reason, business associations are now increasing pressure on political leaders and calling for the bill to be passed quickly.

• East Germans in leadership positions: Statistics on the underrepresentation of East Germans in leadership positions are regularly published and discussed, but empirical studies on the reasons for this unequal distribution are rare. A study by Leipzig sociologist Jörg Hartmann has now addressed precisely this issue.

If you are particularly interested in the field of public affairs, we would like to recommend our CHECKPOINT Political Consulting event on May 16. There you can meet political consultancies such as 365 Sherpas, ADVERB, Hill & Knowlton, Fink & Fuchs, FleishmanHillard, and Johannsen + Kretschmer in person.

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