Germany’s hospitality sector drives integration

Germany’s successful integration of migrants into the “Gastwelt” hospitality sector, which includes the tourism and gastronomy industries, has made a tangible impact to ease the burden on the social security system. This was the conclusion of a recent study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO. However, the report’s author Vanessa Borkmann stressed the importance of bringing migrants into the labour market quicker and more easily. “With every person we employ, we ease the burden on the social security system and strengthen our economy. Policymakers should target the specific needs of the “Gastwelt” sector, which has proved particularly effective in matters of integration,” she wrote.   

IAO data shows that over 40% of the hospitality workforce come from migrant backgrounds, compared to only 15% in the wider economy. The sector already employs 12% of refugees currently in Germany. That amounts to just under 150,000 people who no longer depend on social security because they now have an income of their own. According to the report, this represents savings to the public purse of €150 million a month, equal to €1.8 billion annually.