The decline in the German automotive sector makes it difficult for young engineers to find jobs

The contraction of the automotive industry in Germany and the intense competition from Chinese electric car manufacturers are making it increasingly difficult for young engineers to find employment. Max Pile, a 30-year-old software engineer trained in Computer Vision and with experience at a major automotive supplier, remains unemployed despite years of job hunting and submitting over 50 applications.

Between 2015-2017, German engineers were among the most sought-after professionals in the labor market; they could even secure jobs before graduating. During that period, the unemployment rate in engineering was at a remarkably low level of 3 percent. Today, however, this golden age appears to have ended. In China, the world's largest automobile market, local electric vehicle brands such as BYD and Xpeng have seriously seized the market share of German manufacturers.

This situation is forcing German automotive giants, which are trying to maintain their export-driven structure, into a painful transformation. Germany had previously managed to survive the automotive collapse experienced by the UK, France, and Italy without suffering damage. Transport economist Thomas Puls from the German Economic Research Institute points out the effects of this sharp decline in the sector, noting that automobile production in the country was at much higher levels 10 years ago.