Digitalization in the German Labor Market

Digitalization is becoming commonplace in the world of work. Of all the online job ads analyzed for the study, the share that required at least one digital skill rose from 38.1% in 2014 to 47.5% in 2018. In terms of the digital intensity of different types of jobs, the findings show that, in 2018, almost 80% of online job ads were for occupations for which digital skills and knowledge are a basic requirement. When qualification levels are examined, however, several key differences become apparent: Among high-skill jobs, 94% of the postings are for occupations that require digital skills, a figure that drops to only 62% for low-skill jobs, such as assistants in the logistics or catering industries.

Differences are also apparent across economic sectors. In addition to the information and communications industry, digitalization has become prevalent in the financial services and insurance industry, and among people providing professional, academic and technical services. Conversely, the hospitality and healthcare industries require relatively few digital skills, as do jobs in the social services sector. Those are the findings from our study carried out by the US-based data analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies.