Skills shortages among those needed to fill engineering jobs in Germany are not being met because of strict labor migration laws, it has been claimed.

According to Reuters, the country's employment regulations are "at odds" with the demand for experienced members of staff in some industries.

The news source noted a software engineer from India was idle for five months after trying to change company, as he was told his work permit was non-transferable.

However, it pointed out that there is an "acute shortage of engineers and other highly-skilled workers, a problem expected to worsen due partly to the ageing population and low birth rates".

The article quoted Datango vice-president of software engineering Stefan Dahlke as complaining that bureaucracy is hampering international hiring, with German rules in this area stricter than most other European Union nations.

Germany had around 41 million people in paid employment by the second quarter of 2011, 1.4 per cent higher than during the same period of last year, according to the Destatis statistical news agency.

Posted by Alex Donnell