Over 40% of Students in Germany Claim Career Opportunities Have Worsened Amid Pandemic

A large number of students in Germany fear there will be a lack of job opportunities due to COVID-19 crisis, according to the latest “student study” conducted by the consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY) for the German Press Agency.

According to the study, over 40 per cent of students claimed that good career opportunities have worsened in recent months. The study also revealed that a quarter of them have already changed their plans and prefer to study longer, change the job industry or do not prefer to be self-employed at all, Erudera reports.

Among the most sceptical are economists and cultural scientists, while as per medicine, nearly half of the surveyed persons stated they believe COVID-19 will improve the situation and increase their job opportunities.

79 per cent of persons involved in the survey said they are satisfied with their actual situation, compared to 88 per cent, which was in the survey of the same topic conducted in 2018.

Importance of Family and Job Sustainability Increases

When asked about future employment, the majority of students have highlighted job sustainability as the most important criterion. The same criterion was highlighted by 57 per cent of students participating in the same study two years ago. However, this year, it was chosen by two-thirds of surveyed people.

The second main criterion mentioned by students this year is the salary as well as increases in salary with 55 per cent. Meanwhile, 39 per cent of surveyed students ticked compatibility of the family as the main criterion.

In general, 70 per cent of students said the family is the most important for them, followed by friends and the social environment with 62 per cent, leisure and sport with 43 per cent, while career advancement showed to be important for almost a third of participants, ten points less in percentage compared to 2018.

2,000 students in Germany have participated in this study which was conducted through the end of September and the beginning of October.

Last year’s survey conducted by the same consulting company, showed that over 40 per cent of students said they want to work in the public sector. The study revealed that students in humanities and law preferred to be working in the public sector, most of the economists in consulting companies or auditors, while engineers said they would like to work in the industry of IT and software.

Recently, the opinion research institute Forsa on behalf of the mini-job centre, part of the Association of Deutsche Rentenversicherung Knappschaft-Bahn has published a survey which has shown that almost three-quarters of students in Germany have been working and studying at the same time.