Unfilled teaching positions total approximately 8,000 in the state of Saxony. - Approximately 8,000 job openings in Saxony, Germany are available.
In an unusual turn of events, the apprenticeship market in the German state of Saxony is facing a significant imbalance, with more vacant positions than applicants. According to the latest data from the Federal Employment Agency, as of the end of June 2025, Saxony had approximately 16,400 vacant apprenticeship positions, while only about 14,100 applicants were seeking apprenticeships. This represents a shortfall of around 2,300 applicants compared to available positions.
This situation is consistent with broader trends in parts of Germany where demographic changes and shifting labor market demands have led to shortages of applicants for vocational training spots. The imbalance in Saxony is particularly noteworthy, underscoring the need for enhanced recruitment efforts and possibly more integration programs to connect potential trainees, including migrants, with apprenticeship opportunities.
The city of Chemnitz in Saxony is also experiencing this challenge, with unfilled apprenticeship positions. However, the Federal Employment Agency did not provide specific data regarding the number of unfilled apprenticeship positions in Chemnitz. It is known that around 16,800 applicants are seeking an apprenticeship in Saxony, which is 1.1% less than in 2024.
The current situation in Saxony's apprenticeship market is a cause for concern, as it may lead to difficulties in filling apprenticeship roles. The regional directorate in Saxony announced that around 7,000 young people have not yet found an apprenticeship, suggesting that the number of unfilled apprenticeship positions in Chemnitz is higher than the number of young people who have not yet found an apprenticeship in Saxony, although the exact difference is not specified.
Despite the decrease in apprentice positions for the new training year, which is approximately 1,700 positions less than the number of applicants, the current apprentice positions in Saxony are available. For the new training year, there are approximately 17,500 apprentice positions reported to the Federal Employment Agency, representing an 8.3% decrease compared to last year.
The Federal Employment Agency's data does not provide information about the industries offering apprenticeships in Chemnitz. However, the agency's estimates for Saxony as a whole were not provided in this paragraph.
One positive development in addressing the issue of applicant shortages is the success of Saxony's labor market mentors program. Since 2020, this program has placed over 2,100 mentees in employment and almost 500 in vocational training, showing promise in addressing integration and apprenticeship participation for third-country nationals.
In conclusion, the apprenticeship market in Saxony currently faces a quantitative deficit in applicants relative to available apprenticeship vacancies. This situation requires ongoing policy and practical responses to attract and retain young people in vocational training pathways, including enhanced recruitment efforts and integration programs.
- The imbalance in Saxony's apprenticeship market underscores the need for practical responses such as enhanced recruitment efforts, learning about education-and-self-development, career-development, and skills-training to attract more applicants for vocational training spots.
- To address the shortage of applicants, it is crucial for policies like the labor market mentors program to continue, which provide learning opportunities, skills-training, and vocational training, ultimately aiding in career-development and integration for potential trainees.
