Public service: Migrant generation underrepresented in civil service

Only 11 percent of people with an immigrant background were employed in the public sector in Germany last year. Their proportion was therefore around half as high as that of people without a migration background. For example, 20 percent of them worked as teachers, educators, police officers or clerks, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on the occasion of the publication of the integration dashboard based on the results of the microcensus.

People who either themselves or whose both parents have immigrated to Germany since 1950 have an immigration history.

There are also differences within this group: While in 2023 every tenth person who had immigrated (10 percent) worked in the public service, this was the case for every seventh person of the descendants with two immigrant parents, i.e. 14 percent. For people with an immigrant parent, the proportion of people employed in the public sector was only slightly lower at 18 percent than for people without an immigrant background at 20 percent.

Descendants are more likely to be in public service than ten years ago

The development over time also varies between the individual groups. The proportion of people employed in the public sector among immigrants has increased by just under a percentage point compared to 2013 to 10 percent in 2023. In terms of offspring, he has increased by a good half from 9 percent to 14 percent. “During this period, many people immigrated to Germany, which changed the composition of the immigrants,” explained the statisticians.

For people with an immigrant parent, the proportion of those employed in the public sector has also increased – from 13 percent to 18 percent.

15 percent have an immigration background

Overall, in 2023, a good 15 percent of public sector employees had an immigration background. Almost 12 percent had immigrated themselves and almost 4 percent were descendants of immigrants. “This means that they are significantly underrepresented in relation to the total population,” explained the Federal Office. People with a history of immigration made up 29 percent of the total population. Their share of employed people aged 15 to 64 was 26 percent.