Labor market research
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Labor market research is used to identify occupational fields, needs and skills in demand.
When modernizing and developing new degree programmes, it is helpful to conduct initial, random research on possible occupational fields for graduates and to determine the demand situation on the labour market as well as to search for relevant studies.
This first analysis considers two paths:
1) an exemplary search for suitable profiles in relevant job portals;
2) an initial review of similar study program concepts and the skills specified there.
Path 2) is a detailed assessment of the current situation with comparisons of the courses offered by other universities in this subject area and is explained in the section on environment analysis.
Two questions are central to the labor market analysis:
- In which professional fields can potential graduates of the planned degree program find employment?
- What skills do employers expect from applicants for advertised positions related to the course content and specializations?
- The department will conduct initial research into possible career fields for future graduates of the planned degree program in the form of a job advertisement analysis of the degree program concept and the current skills profile.
- The data basis for the job advertisement analysis is the weekly magazine "WILA Arbeitsmarkt", which is published by the non-profit association "Wissenschaftsladen Bonn e.V.". At the heart of this magazine is an edited collection of job vacancies, which offers around 500 new, up-to-date and qualified job vacancies every week, specifically for academics in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. These job offers are assigned to eight professional fields: 1) communication, 2) education, 3) arts and culture, 4) environmental and nature conservation, 5) social affairs and psychology, 6) science and research, 7) interdisciplinary positions, 8) outside the box. Selected job advertisements from the issue are included in the sample for the analysis. Here it is necessary to define a time period for the research that is meaningful.
- In addition, or as an alternative, random samples of job advertisements at federal level from online job exchanges are used for the analysis. Firstly, meta search engines (e.g. METAJob, Indeed, Kimeta, or Gigajob) are used for the job search, which provide targeted offers collected from other search engines centrally. Secondly, for study programmes with a focus on sustainability, for example, it makes sense to consult job portals specializing in green jobs (e.g. NachhaltigeJobs, GoodJobs and Greenjobs). This analysis shows job offers that were posted up to two months ago.
- It is also useful to search for relevant studies on the future world of work in order to determine future employment needs, e.g. from the Faculty and Department Day of the respective discipline or, for example, the forecast on the labor market for humanities scholars "Geisteswissenschaftler auf dem Arbeitsmarkt: Berufe, Branchen, Karrierepositionen" (Konegen-Grenier, Christiane (2019), IW-Report, No. 32/2019, Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW), Cologne).
- Please note: This exemplary search for suitable profiles is not intended as a forecast for future developments in the labor market, but rather provides an initial overview of the current status of in-demand profiles.
When researching the WILA job market, a systematic search is carried out for keywords relating to suitable profiles that appear in the current documents of the study program. This shows whether students acquire skills in the degree program that are relevant to the labor market and are in demand.
It also makes sense to search for relevant literature to forecast the future labor market situation in 2030. This can show the skills that graduates will need in the future. The orientation towards such forecasts makes it possible to modernize the study program concept with regard to future demand on the labor market and to continue to offer an attractive study program.
Processing of results
With the help of the labour market analysis, anomalies and even gaps in the skills profile can be made visible. The discrepancy, e.g. between the skills profile and the gaps in practical experience, can then be addressed in a subsequent step in the development of the degree program, e.g. with a module or an internship, so that adjustments can be made during development. The labour market research also reveals open points in the curriculum so that these can be prepared for further discussion.
The results of the labor market research are incorporated into question 20 of the study program concept.
Examples
The following aspects were identified during a labor market search for an interdisciplinary Master's degree program in the field of sustainable technological transformations:
Question:
- Are there any job offers that match the competence profile of the planned study program?
- What special features do these job offers have in terms of prerequisites and requirements for applicants?
Data basis and foundation of the research: skills profile of the degree program
The starting point is the planned skills profile of the degree program, which is listed here again in excerpts and as an example:
Graduates of the degree program have in-depth knowledge of technological transformation, sustainable development and the integration and support of innovative technologies in various business areas. The skills taught include:
- Systemic thinking in the field of sustainable technology development
- Analysis and evaluation of sustainable transformation processes
- Design and implementation of transformation strategies
- Knowledge of change management and support for transformation processes
- Interdisciplinary project work and scientific approach
Database and basis for research: typical job platforms and market shares in 2025
Various job boards are available for researching suitable positions. It is important to keep an eye on their relevance and reach. The most important portals in Germany in 2025, sorted by monthly visitor numbers, are
- Federal Employment Agency (9.2 million visitors) - all sectors and entry levels
- Indeed (7.5 million visitors) - broad target groups, blue/white collar
- StepStone (5.5 million visitors) - specialists & managers, professionals
- LinkedIn Jobs (3 million visitors) - academics, executives, international
- XING Jobs (950,000 visitors) - DACH region, specialists & managers
- meinestadt.de (450,000 visitors) - regional jobs, trainees, career starters
- Monster (200,000 visitors) - generalists, international
- stellenanzeigen.de (150,000 visitors) - specialists, regional
- Kimeta (150,000 visitors) - various sectors
- Jobware (70,000 visitors) - specialists & managers, professionals
Source: https://glow-careers.de/blog/die-besten-jobboersen-deutschland/
Procedure: Keywords for the search
In order to identify relevant jobs, search terms should be coordinated. In addition, a regional or Germany-wide search area should be defined.
In this example, full-time positions with permanent employment for "sustainability" and "sustainability" were searched for 100km around Kassel and in Germany.
Further search terms were planned for a small number of search hits:
- Sustainability / Sustainable in combination with "Transformation"
- technology transformation
- transformation manager
- sustainability manager
- change management
- Corporate Sustainability
- Digitalization and sustainability
Results: Research results and exemplary job titles
A search on Stepstone identified around 6 jobs in the region that appeared suitable for graduates. Across Germany, there were well over 50 suitable positions that were a very good fit for the planned degree program.
It turned out that sustainability (5900 search hits) appeared in a large number of unsuitable job advertisements and was used more as a general buzzword, while sustainability (1419 search hits) made it easier to identify suitable vacancies.
Overview of the number of search hits found:
| Region | Sustainability | Sustainability |
|---|---|---|
| Kassel radius 100 km | 256 full-time positions with permanent employment | 54 full-time positions with permanent employment |
| 6 suitable positions | 5 suitable positions | |
| Germany-wide | 5900 full-time positions with permanent employment | 1419 full-time positions with permanent employment |
| Well over 50 suitable positions |
Exemplary excerpt of job titles that were collected and documented during the research including the tasks and fields of activity as well as the requirements and prerequisites for the job offer:
- Director Group Sustainability
- Sustainability Coordinator
- Officer:in Sustainability Management
- Consultant:in Sustainable Products Regulation
- Consultant Audit CSRD
- Climate Manager
Results: Open points and discrepancies between the skills profile and the requirements profile of the job advertisements
The sticking points in the exemplary search for job advertisements were
- Several years of professional experience in the field of activity was mentioned more frequently.
- (Several years of) management experience was more frequently required in job advertisements that were partly linked to the development or management of a group.
- Experience in moderating, planning and organizingworkshops was sometimes included in the requirements profile.
- Language skills in German and English (business fluent) were expected, especially for work in a company network at several locations.
- A doctorate related to the advertised position was occasionally required for consultants.
- Knowledge of business administration and/or law were also mentioned.
These factors should be given particular consideration in the further development of the curriculum as well as in the individual profile development and career planning of graduates.