Rethinking Migration Policy: The Impact of Skilled Labor Shortages

Migration Department

Project head: Dr. Ramona Rischke ,  Dr. Zeynep Yanaşmayan

Project team members: Dr. Julian Jäger ,  Dr. Pau Palop-García

The Skilled Immigration Act was passed in 2023 to create new pathways for attracting skilled workers to Germany and to reduce bureaucratic barriers to immigration. A broad consensus was achieved among the parties of the governing coalition and other civil society stakeholders, such as migrant organizations and business associations. Despite the political consensus that the German labor market relies on migrants (Weber and Winters 2023), the recently published study "Welcoming Culture in Times of Crisis" (Wieland 2024) by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that negative attitudes toward immigration among the population have increased over the past decade (2013–2023).

Against this backdrop, the project examines how labor and skilled worker shortages influence perceptions and migration policy preferences regarding labor migration in Germany. To address this question, an experimental research design is applied using data from the DeZIM.panel.

Funding: Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Institutional funding)