One in ten Germans aged 20 to 24 were neither employed nor enrolled in education or training in 2023, according to a report published on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden. While the figure remains below the European Union average, it has increased from 8.8% in 2022.
Bettina Kohlrausch, director of the Economic and Social Science Institute (WSI) at the Hans Böckler Foundation, says the internationally recognised dual vocational training system in Germany is designed to ensure smooth transitions from education to the labour market. She notes that the proportion of young people not in employment, education, or training remains below the European average reflects the strength of the German system. Nevertheless, the recent increase is a cause for concern.
Across the EU, the average rate of 20- to 24-year-olds neither in work nor training was 13.9% in 2023, according to the report. The Netherlands recorded the lowest rate at 5.6%, while Romania had the highest at 22.8%. Despite Germany’s comparatively low figure, Kohlrausch is alarmed by the upward trend in recent years. She warns that more young people are struggling to make the transition from school to vocational training, and from there into employment. Kohlrausch is therefore calling for more and better training opportunities, as well as a genuine training guarantee that would give all young people a right to a place in vocational training.
The statistical office, citing Germany’s national education report, lists a range of reasons for the increase. 20% of those surveyed reported care responsibilities as a barrier, 18% cited health issues, and 17% said their reasons were education-related, such as waiting for a place at university or on a training programme. 6% were about to start a job or training, while a quarter were actively looking for work at the time of the survey.
