Occupational area 5 – Processing

Metalworking professions: does demographics ease the job situation?

This occupational area, with its industrial professions, has lost some weight. The current state of the German economy is likely to play a role here.

The metalworking professions posted above-average growth; almost all of them are up compared to 2025. Welders are even more sought-after than at any time since 2009. In the overall ranking, the profession has placed 13th. Welders are among the bottleneck professions, as are the closely following system engineers for sanitary, heating and air conditioning (14th place) – for both, the lack of qualified personnel even widened in 2025. Demographics are presumably also working in favor of the metalworking professions, since many specialists in manufacturing companies will soon be retiring. In addition, new areas of responsibility have arisen for them, for example in the field of renewable energies or defense.

The electrical professions have fallen from the fifth-strongest of all work areas to ninth place. Although the share of job offers for electronics technicians has fallen, they remain at the top of all professions. Mechatronics technicians (not vehicles), on the other hand, have gained shares and are now further forward than ever (25th place).