Germany's market for entry-level jobs has shrunk significantly
German employers have sharply cut the number of vacancies for people just starting their careers. Compared to the 2022 peak, the supply of entry-level jobs on the Indeed platform has fallen by more than two-thirds, with the biggest declines in occupations related to office and intellectual work.
This is according to a study by Indeed Hiring Lab, released on September 23.
In July 2026, the number of entry-level vacancies was 46% lower than the 2019 average. At the same time, the total number of vacancies in Germany still exceeded the pre-pandemic level by about 8%.
The gap emerged after the hiring boom of previous years. In July 2022, the number of postings for beginners was about 75% higher than the 2019 level. Since then, this segment of the labor market has been shrinking much faster than the overall market.
Indeed recorded a decline in 26 of the 28 occupational groups studied. In 23 of them, the number of entry-level vacancies decreased faster than the overall job supply.
The decline is particularly noticeable in so-called knowledge professions. Compared to 2022, the number of entry-level vacancies in marketing fell by about 75%, in IT applications and solutions by 77%, and in project management by 60%.
The opposite situation occurred in only two large groups. In medicine, care, and pharmaceuticals, the number of entry-level vacancies rose by 18%, and in the food industry, catering, and hospitality by 10%. These are exactly the sectors where Germany continues to experience labor shortages.
One possible factor behind the reduction in vacancies for young professionals is the spread of artificial intelligence. Some routine tasks previously performed by entry-level workers—such as text preparation, analysis, and information processing—can increasingly be automated.
However, Indeed stresses that the available data does not allow identifying AI as the main cause of the decline. The gap between entry-level vacancies and the overall market began to emerge in spring and summer 2022, that is, even before the public launch of ChatGPT at the end of that year.
According to Indeed economist Virginia Sondergeld, the weak economic environment plays a significant role. In times of uncertainty, companies primarily cut investments in workers without experience who need additional training.
Yet vocational education in Germany proved much more resilient. In the 2025/2026 season, the number of apprenticeships and dual study programs remained about 50% higher than the 2019 level.
Indicative is the situation in software development: the number of entry-level vacancies in this field compared to 2019 has fallen by about 70%, while the number of places in vocational training programs remained 27% higher.
The researchers note that this difference is partly explained by the structure of the German education system. Among vocational programs, there are significantly more specialties in industry, medicine, crafts, and other areas where automation opportunities via AI are still fewer.
At the same time, Indeed's statistics do not cover absolutely all job openings for young people. To the category of entry-level vacancies, researchers attributed postings whose titles contained words like Junior, Trainee, Graduate, Berufseinstieg, or Young Professional. Therefore, the indicator reflects the dynamics of exactly this segment of postings.
Based on materials from: Indeed Hiring Lab, Tagesschau
