The number of vacancies on the German labor market has recently fallen somewhat, but is still at a high level. According to a survey by the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB) in Nuremberg, there were 1.82 million vacancies nationwide in the third quarter of the year - 5 percent fewer than in the second quarter. Compared to the same period last year, the number of vacancies is still 32 percent higher, according to the IAB.

The IAB regularly asks companies about all the vacancies - and thus also records vacancies that are not registered with the employment agencies.

"The labor market proved to be relatively robust in the third quarter of 2022, despite the existing uncertainties in the wake of the energy crisis caused by the war of aggression in Ukraine," said IAB expert Alexander Kubis. "However, last but not least, the experiences from the corona lockdowns show that companies from crisis-hit sectors in particular are reluctant to hire new people." Therefore, a decline in vacancies in the affected sectors must be expected in the coming quarters.