Voices of Economic Transformation 2025

How can Germany become more innovative, competitive, and sustainable at the same time? Concrete proposals for action are provided in the Innovation Catalog 2025 of the Bertelsmann Foundation's “Voices of Economic Transformation.”

We would like to highlight two innovative ideas for labor market policy as examples: To counteract the shortage of skilled workers, speed visas for top researchers can attract international talent to Germany through transparent, digitized immigration procedures. At the same time, digital inclusion as an innovation booster taps into untapped potential. AI-supported methods can be used to improve accessibility. Computer vision and natural language processing automate the creation of alt tags, audio descriptions, and simplified texts.

The combination of international talent acquisition and domestic potential development could help Germany import expertise needed in the short term and create a more inclusive, innovative society in the long term. Both approaches complement each other and show how modern labor market policy must have an external and internal impact at the same time – and how Germany can assert itself as a location for innovation.

We were also interested in these topics:

• Generation Z in the world of work: Gen Z struggles with high levels of psychological stress, but not with a lack of work ethic, as the DAK Health Report 2025 shows. More than a third of 18- to 24-year-olds show symptoms of depression, while at the same time generational conflicts are intensifying. Yet Gen Z's work expectations hardly differ from those of their older colleagues.

• Negotiating power in the hiring process: According to a recent Randstad-ifo HR survey, 49% of companies believe that applicants have the stronger negotiating position in the hiring process. Only 11% of companies consider themselves to be in a superior position, while 40% assume that the balance of power is equal.

• Working after graduation: A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that, despite the continuing appeal of vocational training, one in five students plans to work without formal qualifications. The main obstacle is the training allowance: almost half of all respondents consider it too low.

This text first appeared as an editorial in the weekly politjobs newsletter. If you would like to receive this newsletter with the latest jobs in politics directly by email every Wednesday, you can subscribe to it here.

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