The number of jobs in Germany increased by 27% compared to the first quarter, according to the latest Job Index by international recruitment firm Robert Walters.

The index shows an increase of 9% compared to Q1 for jobs within accounting and finance professionals.

Meanwhile, advertised sales positions grew by 15% and jobs in the marketing sector grew by 30%, compared to the previous quarter. The increased demand for marketing professionals is due to the fact that companies are increasingly using social media channels and online marketing.

“Despite the economic and political uncertainty within the EU, the German labour market has been resistant so far with a specific focus on economic growth,” Nick Dunnett, Director of Robert Walters Germany & Switzerland, said.  “International companies are increasingly trying to gain a foothold in the German market. These investments increase the demand for experienced professionals.”

In particular, there is high demand for those with experience in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. The job index shows an increase of jobs in the IT sector by 6% compared to the previous quarter. This demand results from the ongoing digitalisation of businesses, the improvement of business intelligence systems and the move to cloud-based technologies by enterprises. Robert Walters states that candidates from middle to upper management level with experience in small and medium enterprises are required to support and implement the digital transformation professionally.

Demand for professionals in the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) sector is growing steadily in Germany with particularly high demand for professionals in the fields of Big Data and cloud computing.

The index states that Germany is considered the most important information and communication technology market in Europe and, after the USA, China, Japan and the UK's fifth largest national market worldwide. Through the progressive digitalization of business and industry, both small and medium businesses as well as corporations must demonstrate their ability to innovate.

“The job market is geared to the needs of the candidates due to the shortage of skilled workers," Dunnett said.