The VDI/IW Engineer Monitor published on August 3, 2026, reports a new record high for Germany. In the fourth quarter of 2025, an average of 58,392 individuals in engineering and IT professions were without a job each month. This marked the highest number of unemployed engineers since data collection began in 2011. The figure rose by 16.7 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. At the same time, the number of job vacancies fell by 18.2 percent to 96,760. Consequently, the persistent economic weakness and the crisis in the automotive sector are diminishing opportunities for both recent graduates and experienced professionals.
Why more and more engineers are becoming unemployed
However, the situation varies significantly by specialization. For computer scientists, the number of job openings plummeted by 33.0 percent within a year. In civil engineering, by contrast, the decline was only 3.8 percent. Demand also fell particularly sharply in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where the struggling automotive industry accounts for a large share of technical jobs.
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Unemployment in mechanical and automotive engineering rose by 34.0 percent. Technical research and production control also saw an increase of 32.9 percent. In contrast, the rise in civil engineering was 5.8 percent. The fact that an increasing number of engineers are becoming unemployed thus primarily affects industry-related development and production sectors.
Shortage of skilled workers persists
However, this slump does not signify a widespread surplus of technical personnel. Statistically, there were still 166 job vacancies for every 100 unemployed persons in the fourth quarter. A figure above 100 continues to indicate a statistical shortage. Nevertheless, the ratio dropped significantly as more applicants competed for fewer positions.
The Federal Employment Agency, however, uses a narrower set of statistics. It recorded an average of 48,000 unemployed engineers. This was 20 percent higher than the previous year. At the same time, the profession-specific unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, placing it above the 3.3 percent rate for university graduates. Meanwhile, 1.16 million engineering professionals remained in employment subject to social security contributions.
Industrial crisis makes entering technical professions more difficult
The IT job market is also following this negative trend. In 2025, the Federal Employment Agency recorded around 54,000 unemployed ICT specialists. This represented a 27 percent increase compared to 2024 and the highest figure in ten years. At the same time, the average number of registered job vacancies fell to around 13,000. When engineers become unemployed and IT positions disappear, recent graduates in particular lose out on vital entry-level opportunities.
Nevertheless, employment in certain segments of the technical job market is growing in the long term. In 2025, 1.15 million ICT specialists were employed in jobs subject to social security contributions—an increase of two percent over the previous year. Consequently, the VDI (Association of German Engineers) is warning against cutting back on training capacities. Infrastructure, energy supply, digitalization, and new technologies continue to require technical personnel. However, the current record figures demonstrate that a university degree no longer guarantees a smooth transition into the labor market. Moving forward, the decisive factors will be the field of specialization, professional experience, region, and the industry’s willingness to invest.
Author: Blackout News
Sources: Die Zeit (03.08.26) – Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (03.08.26)