The German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to the loss of 800,000 jobs over the next 15 years. The agency’s president, Andrea Nahles, made the statement in an interview with the economic daily Handelsblatt on Tuesday. According to Nahles, sectors most likely to be affected include business‑to‑business service providers and analyst roles in insurance and banking. She cited studies from 2025 showing that one in four German companies already uses AI for some purpose. While acknowledging the potential for job displacement, Nahles also noted that a roughly equal number of new positions would be created as a result of AI adoption. Nahles said that the impact on the labour market would not be immediate. “It will take time before the economic recovery is reflected in employment, possibly not until next summer,” she explained, adding that companies are currently waiting for more orders before hiring new staff. The agency president also highlighted a looming shortage of skilled workers. She pointed out that Germany loses about 500,000 qualified workers each year due to demographic changes. To address this challenge, Nahles called for policies that attract more skilled labour from outside the European Union and make Germany a more attractive destination compared with other immigration‑receiving countries.
Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario