Over 300,000 Openings: Germany and Switzerland Try Everything from Indian Recruits to Island Rotations to Fill Healthcare Gaps
13.06.2026 - 14:16:06 | boerse-global.de
The scale of the staffing crisis in German and Swiss healthcare and trades became starkly visible this month. On June 13, 2026, the job portal for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia listed more than 300,000 vacancies across all sectors. In Munich alone, the federal employment agency counted over 280 unfilled positions in skilled trades and technical professions as of June 12. Smaller cities also felt the pinch: Mayen had 98 openings, Heidelberg 70, and Stuttgart 55.
To tackle the shortfall, hospitals and regional governments are rolling out unconventional models. The Asklepios hospital chain launched a pilot project in June 2026 called "SAT Travel Nurse Sylt." Under the scheme, nurses from Hamburg can move to the North Sea clinic for periods ranging from four weeks to six months. They work in the emergency room, intensive care, operating theatre, or rehabilitation ward. To make the offer attractive, Asklepios provides free accommodation, covers travel costs, and pays monthly skill bonuses and allowances. The aim is to stabilise staffing at tourist-dependent locations where patient numbers swing wildly with the seasons.
A different approach comes from the state of Thuringia, which is looking overseas. On June 11, 2026, the state government signed a declaration of intent to cooperate more closely with an Indian skilled-worker organisation. Thuringia is focusing on two areas with the most acute need: healthcare and the trades. The agreement, made together with the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO), calls for a reciprocal visit by Indian representatives to strengthen the partnership.
Switzerland is facing its own version of the shortage. The latest Nahtstellenbarometer 2026 survey found that about 63 percent of young people are considering a vocational apprenticeship. As of the survey date, 68 percent of the roughly 74,000 available apprenticeships had already been filled. The most popular fields are health and social care, as well as commercial roles.
The Swiss Federal Council moved to ease pressures in palliative care. Starting January 1, 2027, it will raise the daily reimbursement rates that health insurers pay for specialised palliative services, both for outpatient and inpatient patients. This increase is set to remain in effect until the introduction of the unified financing system (Efas) in 2032. An earlier change takes effect on July 1, 2026: amendments to the Nursing Care Services Ordinance will cut tariffs for laboratory analyses and certain medical devices, generating projected annual savings of 92 million Swiss francs.
Switzerland is also digitising disease surveillance. The first phase of the NASURE platform has been released. By 2034, the system is meant to automatically monitor disease outbreaks by pulling data from hospitals and laboratories.
Political debate in Switzerland is shaped by the so-called 10-million-initiative, which would limit the resident population. Critics argue that such a cap would severely strain healthcare. Currently, more than 20 percent of employees in Swiss hospitals and nursing homes hold a foreign qualification.
In the canton of Basel-Landschaft, the cantonal parliament decided on June 11, 2026, to keep the Laufen health centre operating around the clock until the end of 2029, despite low overnight patient numbers. It approved 4.2 million Swiss francs for the period.
