Living and Working in Germany 031212MVA2_022126_003_k Living and Working in Germany EURES Germany Ina Rosenow

Index Facts about Germany Labour Market Social Security Taxes 031212MVA2_022126_003_k Index Facts about Germany Labour Market Social Security Taxes Job Searching Strategies Applying for a position When you have found a position General Information

Facts about Germany Surface Area: 357.000 km² Population: 82.6 Million Capital: Berlin with 4.3 million inhabitants 16 Federal States (Bundesländer)

Labour Market Unemployment Rate 7,4 % West Germany: ~ 6 % East Germany: ~ 12 %  about 3,1 Million unemployed persons Employed: 38,2 Million About 1.000.000 job vacancies The current number of unemployed persons is further decreasing.

Labour Market Where are the jobs? – For University Graduates: Economic engineers Electrical engineers Mechanical engineers Specialized Doctors Chemists Specialists in Marketing and Sales

Labour Market Where are the jobs? – Skilled Workers: Technicians (Chemistry Mechanics, …) Skilled Metal Workers Nurses Cooks Sales-Employees

Labour Market The following jobs are hard to find – University Graduates: Architects and Civil engineers Masters of Arts and Social Sciences Geographists and Geologists Biologists Journalists Lawyers Teachers Assistant physicians

Labour Market The following jobs are hard to find – Skilled Workers: Construction Workers Skilled Workers in the Textile Industry Agricultural Professions Unskilled Workers

Social Security 5 branches of the Social Security System: Health Insurance Unemployment Insurance Pension Care Insurance Accident Insurance Please find detailed information in English and French as well on www.deutsche-sozialversicherung.de

Social Security Social Insurance Rates: Employer – Employee = 50 : 50 Health Insurance 15,5% (1st of January 2009) Unemployment Insurance 2,8 % (1st of January 2009) Pension 19,5 % Care Insurance 1,7 % Accident Insurance employer 100 %

Taxes P. A. Y. E. (Pay As You Earn) Automatically deducted from employee’s salary: Income tax  16 % - 45 % Church tax  8 % - 10 % of income tax Solidarity tax  5,5 % of income tax

Finding a Job in Germany Job Searching Methods: Internet Eures - network Private agencies Temporary employment agencies Job fairs Direct contact with employer Newspapers Yellow pages

Finding a Job in Germany Useful Internet Addresses www.arbeitsagentur.de ( German employment service) www.meinestadt.de (All about the German cities) www.careergardens.de (Career fairs) www.gelbeseiten.de (Yellow pages) www.branchenbuch.de (Information about companies) http://eures.europa.eu (EU-Commission/EURES) www.ba-auslandsvermittlung.de

Applying for a Position What do German employers expect from you? Very good German skills Sometimes English skills Professional experience in the relevant sector Motivation Assertiveness Able to work in a team

Applying for a Position Basic-Rules: Application materials should be short and precise Documents should indicate a differentiated picture of the applicant Letter of application should be unique to the employer and the position No mistakes should appear in the application (grammer/spelling)

Applying for a Position In a DIN A 4 folder (usually plastic) you should send the following: Cover letter (typed) CV/Resume (tabular) Passport-Photo! (nice and serious looking picture) Copies of School, University diplomas and any professional training Copies of testimonials and letters of references (Only mentioning names is not enough!)

Applying for a Position The CV/Resume should be written in the following order: Name / Address / Date of birth / Marital status Schooling Training / University Practical training Work experience Others (Ex. Military Service, voluntary work) Languages Other Skills (Ex. Computer, Hobbies) Location, Date, Signature  not more than 2 pages!

When you have found a position: When you have found a job ... ... the employee: Receives an income tax card from the local authorities and gives it to the employer Registers with a health insurance institution and informs the employer Receives a social insurance number and card (through the employer) Registers the new employee with the social insurance institutions (public or private). Health insurance, Pension insurance and unemployment insurance

General Information Money Matters In addition to your travel costs you will need enough money to cover your housing, food and other expenses until you receive your first payment from your employer Even if you find a job immediately, you can expect to wait up to a month for your first payment

General Information Do not forget… Leaving your family & friends behind to find work in another country is a big step Before deciding to move to another country, you could carefully consider all aspects of working in another country with your local EURES-Adviser  http://eures.europa.eu EURES-Adviser-Search

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