LeeroyandBakey

Hello all expats. In a nutshell, my wife, our two kids and I would love to move to Germany but we’re baulking at our perceived likelihood of finding employment that could provide a half decent standard of living. My wife is German, I’m British and the kids were born here in the UK (but have German passports). The kids and I all speak a decent level of German. My wife is a qualified lab technician in Germany but has been working as a Project Manager here for many years and has been out of the lab technician field for almost 20 years now. I’m a policeman but would be open to all and any line of employment, although I kind of like the idea of being a postman. We would be grateful for all and any advice you can muster with regards to how likely it is we would find employment if we were literally to drop everything we have here and move over lock, stock and barrel? And what type of jobs might be most realistically within our grasp? Many thanks in anticipation.

Thairetired2016

How easy it is to find work also depends on your age. It depends on the area you are moving to. Your wife does project management in what field?
Some areas have high unemployment, some have near full employment.
It may be easier to get a job in the police force rather than a job delivering mail. Latter is mainly done by students/parttime workers.
Why not look up some employment websites to see what is available? Austria may also be an option as you speak German. Better pay too.

OrangeMango

That is very very much true in Germany, not so much in Austria though.

Thairetired2016

Agreed.

OrangeMango

The German job market is a miracle to most foreigners, as it seems to be full of strange contradictions: Germany ranks rather low on unemployment and the country seems to be doing better in the Corona crisis, also in terms of jobs and the economy, Germany tends to outperform other countries, however getting a job is still very difficult, regulated, littered with bureaucracy and other strange hiring procedures.

scot47

The German economy is doing better than that last outpost of the British Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ! The "Wirtschaftswunder" is long over but reunification has been handled in a way none of us could have predicted. i was last there in 2017 and I was astonished at the transformation in cities and towns that had been in the GDR,

OrangeMango

I travelled there myself recently. Overall they have done an outstanding job after the reunification. In terms of Infrastructure, especially road conditions and railroad conditions as well as the regeneration of cities everything seems in top condition. Cities like Erfurt, Leipzig or Dresden are looking great today. However the old GDR can still be felt in society and attitude, especially with the older generation,. Also racism and anti-foreigner attitude is rooted deeply in former GDR society.

scot47

Racism is endemic. Probably more so in the "Neue Bundeslaender". My fluency in German and my slightly Levantine appearance has led to questions on the lines of "Sind Sie vielleicht juedischer Abstammung ?" (Are you perhaps of Jewish descent ?)

I was asked that question, in those words, in the socialist and not-so-democratic German Democratic Republic.

Thairetired2016

No racism in Britain?

scot47

Sure there is. Everywhere. You cannot defend Racism in Germany by saying,"Brits are racist too !"

Thairetired2016

Since you speak German you know the saying: wer im Glashaus sitzt.......
I'm not defending racism in Germany as it doesn't affect me. I dislike people who point fingers at others.

scot47

Is that not "fingerpointing" ? Wait till Brexit really takes off !

OrangeMango

Yes, Berlin has a good startup scene these days and startups tend to hire totally differently, - less bureaucratic mostly. However the city also has social issues one should be aware of. Pre-Covid Berlin was also the party capital of the country. How things are today, I can't say.