At the same time, only 17 percent of the companies surveyed stated that they were also looking for new employees abroad - although less than a fifth of the decision-makers surveyed assume that they will find enough staff in Germany. Instead, the companies initially rely on training and further education in their own company and on the compatibility of family and work in order to attract suitable specialists.

Reasons for the reluctance could be high obstacles to recruiting skilled workers abroad, because according to the Bertelsmann Foundation, more companies than in previous years are citing language barriers, legal and bureaucratic hurdles and the difficult assessment of foreign qualifications as the main problems.

Above all, there is a great need for skilled workers with vocational training - 58 percent of the companies surveyed state this. Only 30 percent report a need for academics. According to the information, there is a lack of skilled workers, especially in nursing and elderly care, in construction and in the trades, in industry and logistics and in tourism. Companies in Saxony, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate as well as in rural regions are also particularly affected. The need for graduates is in turn highest in the cities.

Against the background of the development, it is "surprising" that the recruitment of skilled workers from non-EU countries "is still not an issue for most companies," explained the foundation's migration expert, Susanne Schultz. The shortage of staff is now occurring “in almost all professions, sectors and regions” and the economy is “increasingly losing momentum” as a result.

Without immigration, however, Germany could not ensure prosperity, the foundation explained. The new immigration law must now be "consistently implemented," is the demand. Above all, the potential of female skilled workers from abroad has not yet been fully developed.

The Left, on the other hand, is critical of recruiting workers abroad. This "does not solve the problem of the shortage of skilled workers," explained Susanne Ferschl, member of the Bundestag. The cause is the spread of low wages and poor working conditions. What is needed above all is "a higher collective bargaining agreement, an expansion of controls on the minimum wage or a ban on temporary work and unfounded limitations".