display
Nuremberg (dpa) - differences in economic structure, income and demographic development, for example, continue - the differences on the labor market between the West and East German federal states are, however, according to the assessment of the chairman of the Federal Employment Agency, Detlef Scheele, becoming smaller.
"The east-west scheme that once existed no longer exists," said Scheele of the German press agency.
Since 2017 there have been indications of a reversal of the former migration of workers from east to west.
"The east-west issue has largely been overcome from a labor market perspective," he said.
"Ten years ago the unemployment rate was seven percentage points apart between East and West, now it is two percentage points," said Scheele.
"There are alignment processes."
The economically prosperous areas of the eastern German federal states such as the cities of Leipzig, Dresden or Jena or the tourist regions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania showed hardly any differences to the west.
On the other hand, there are still problems in the western German states in areas where key industries have collapsed.
He named the shoe industry in the Pirmasens area, the shipyard industry in Bremerhaven and the mining industry in the Ruhr area as examples.
However, structurally weak regions still exist in both the old and the new federal states.
display
"If you try to locate a technology company with 500 employees in Lausitz near Guben, you will feel like you are in the Eifel," said Scheele, referring to a blatant shortage of skilled workers in the regions.
"We also have areas in the old federal states that are as emaciated in terms of infrastructure, accessibility and labor supply as parts of the east."
"Our assumption is that the unemployment rate will continue to converge," said Scheele.
There are still growth prospects in the east that are just as promising as those in the west.