Nearly one in five foreign workers in Saxony is employed in an occupation with particularly high labor demand. Of a total of approximately 154,000 foreign workers subject to social insurance contributions in the Free State of Saxony, just under 28,000 work in shortage occupations, according to a response from the Federal Ministry of Labor to a question posed by Saxon Member of the Bundestag Zada Salihovic (The Left) (as of December 31, 2025).
Shortage occupations are those in which the demand for workers exceeds the supply. According to data from the Federal Employment Agency in Saxony, the affected occupational groups included, for example, many foreign skilled workers employed in the restaurant industry (around 8,000), in nursing (around 5,100), and in electrical engineering (around 2,600).
