Germany news: Skilled craft sector faces huge labor shortage

People who work with their hands, from butchers to bakers to candlestick makers, appear to be in short supply. Meanwhile, a court upheld a ruling against a woman who falsely practised as a doctor. DW has the latest. LiveSocietyGermanyGermany news: Skilled craft sector faces huge labor shortageRichard Connor with AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters, KNA, SID, epaPublished 03/04/2026Published March 4, 2026last updated 03/04/2026last updated March 4, 2026People who work with their hands, from butchers to bakers to candlestick makers, appear to be in short supply. Meanwhile, a court upheld a ruling against a woman who falsely practised as a doctor. DW has the latest.https://p.dw.com/p/59mPHSector experts say the youth and their parents still do not recognize the 'wide range of excellent career prospects in the skilled trades'Image: Frank Hoermann/SvenSimon/picture allianceAdvertisementSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know Germany's skilled trades sector is lacking some 200,000 workers Not enough young people are signing up for apprenticeships, say sector representatives The country’s top court upholds the conviction of a woman who pretended to be a doctor Stay here to keep track of the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, March 3. Skip next section Court upholds ruling against fake doctor03/04/2026March 4, 2026Court upholds ruling against fake doctorGermany's Federal Court of Justice has upheld the conviction of a woman who posed as a doctor and treated patients without a medical degree. The court in Karlsruhe confirmed the ruling by a court in the western region of North Rhine-Westphalia, which had ordered that the 24-year-old be placed in a psychiatric hospital. According to the judgment, the woman had studied medicine up to the fourth semester and had used forged certificates to gain admission to the program. She later falsely presented herself as a physician and treated patients. The Osnabrück court in March 2025 convicted her of seven counts of dangerous bodily harm, as well as fraud and unauthorized use of the professional title of doctor. Judges said expert testimony showed she suffers from a moderate personality disorder and narcissism and has a strong compulsion to work as a doctor. The court warned that her actions posed a danger to the public and that the medical procedures she performed appeared random and could have caused serious harm or even death. The woman appealed to the Federal Court of Justice, but judges found no legal errors in the original verdict. The ruling is now final, and she will remain in psychiatric care. https://p.dw.com/p/59mRySkip next section Germany's skilled trades face 200,000 worker gap03/04/2026March 4, 2026Germany's skilled trades face 200,000 worker gapGermany's skilled trades sector is short an estimated 200,000 workers, industry representatives say, underscoring ongoing labor shortages across the country. The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) said 119,565 vacancies in the sector were registered with the Federal Employment Agency at the end of December. Because many companies do not report openings to the agency, the association estimates the real shortage at closer to the 200,000 mark. The sector is a wide one, spanning: construction metal/electrical trades wood and plastics clothing/leather food trades health and personal services graphic/design crafts While the sector expects only modest growth this year, unlike many areas most skilled craft businesses are not cutting jobs on a large scale. In 2025, about 16,213 training positions in the sector went unfilled nationwide, nearly 2,900 fewer than the year before. "Too many young people — and not least their parents — still do not fully recognize the wide range of excellent career prospects in the skilled trades," said Franz Xaver Peteranderl, president of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria. "The still widespread obsession with academic careers obscures the reality." https://p.dw.com/p/59mT2Skip next section Welcome to our coverage03/04/2026March 4, 2026Welcome to our coverageRichard Connor | Rana Taha EditorGuten Tag from the DW newsroom here in Bonn as we bring you the latest about Germany. You join us as Germany’s skilled trades sector says it is short about 200,000 workers, with fewer people seeking apprenticeships. The figures come as Munich hosts its annual Crafts and Trades Fair.  Industry leaders say the problem is that many young people still overlook the skilled trades in favor of academic careers. Stay with us for this and other Germany-related headlines from Wednesday, March 4. https://p.dw.com/p/59mPPShow more postsRichard Connor Reporting on stories from around the world, with a particular focus on Europe — especially Germany.Send us your feedbackYour feedback