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

2. Labour Market Unemployment Rate 8,6 % Seasonal adjustment -89,000
West Germany: 7,0 %
East Germany: 14,8 %
 about 3,6 Million unemployed persons
Employed: 38,2 Million
About open positions in Jan. 2008
The current number of unemployed persons is further decreasing.

3. Labour Market Where are the jobs? – For University Graduates:
Construction, Mechanical & Electrical Engineers,
Project, Development & Testing Engineers et al. ,
IT-Specialists
Medical Doctors
Also
Spanish Teachers
Specialists in Metal Work

4. 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
Public services

5. Social Security 5 branches of the Social Security System:
( Employer – Employee = 50 : 50) rates:
Health Insurance – 14,7 %
Unemployment Insurance ,5 %
Pension ,5 %
Care Insurance ,7 %
Accident Insurance (Employer) 100 %
Please find detailed information in English and French as well on

6. 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

7. Example Salary Calculation
Salary pre-tax ,00 €
Income Tax ,25 €
Church Tax ~ 9% ,00 €
Pension ~ 10% ,24 €
Health Insurance ~ 12-15% (50% employer) ,56 €
Unemployment Insurance ~ 3,3% (50% employer) ,08 €
Care Insurance ~ 1% ,00 €
Solidarity tax ~ 5,5% (of Income Tax) ,72 €
___________________________________________________________
Salary after tax ,43 €

8. Finding a Job in Germany
Job Searching Methods:
Internet: ( German employment service)
(EUropean Employment Services)
Job fairs :
Newspapers: A list of all German and also international newspapers can be found
under:
Yellow pages :

9. Applying for a Position
What do German employers expect from you?
Good German skills
English skills
Professional experience
Motivation
Team Spirit

10. 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)

11. 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!)

12. 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!

13. 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