Photo Gallery Looking for Skilled Labor in Eastern Germany

German demographers have been warning for years about an approaching shortage of highly qualified workers. But the dearth is already a reality in eastern Germany. A low birth rate combined with a two-decade long trend of young people heading west has resulted in companies there having trouble recruiting experts.
1 / 3

The economy in eastern Germany suffered mightily following reunification. But it has begun to recover and several high tech companies now call the region home. But it has become difficult for businesses to find highly qualified experts. Here, a worker at Jenaoptik AG adjusts a laser.

Foto: Jan-Peter Kasper/ dpa
2 / 3

German politicians, such as Economics Minister Rainer Brüderle, pictured here, have begun addressing the shortage, but have come up with few concrete proposals.

Foto: DDP
3 / 3

Several high-tech firms are now located in eastern Germany, primarily in the southwestern part of the region near the border with Bavaria. Here, a physicist works on a security scanner which could ultimately present an alternative to the controversial body scanners now in use at airports around the world.

Foto: Jens Meyer/ AP