Tough job market in 2026: entry-level positions stagnate, influence of AI

“Search longer, achieve more.” Starting a career for young talent is currently a tough business, as reported by Handelsblatt, among others (€). Now the German government has also presented its figures.

Since 2015, the number of positions for specialists and experts registered with the Federal Employment Agency (BA) has risen by 46%. As a result, 59% of the jobs registered in 2025 were for skilled workers and 22% for experts, leaving little room for entry-level positions.

Is AI a contributing factor? The German government denies this and points out that various studies suggest that employees with little professional experience in particular can experience above-average productivity gains thanks to AI.

The fact that AI will ultimately transform almost every job profile is also highlighted by Der Spiegel (€) in a recent analysis.

We were also interested in these topics:

• Getting started in politics: Are you thinking about going into politics? From June 26 to 28, the JoinPolitics initiative is bringing back the “Political Dive,” including real talk and networking. The application deadline is February 28.

• Home office discipline: German employees are particularly conscientious when working from home. Although 69% also do private tasks in between, they remain the “world champions of discipline” compared to France.

• Part-time debate: The CDU's Small and Medium-Sized Business and Economic Union is currently causing a huge debate with its demand to restrict the right to work part-time – ZDF has the background information and the hard facts.

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