restocking at risk
The number of applicants for the Bundeswehr is shrinking
8/2/2023 8:23 am
Actually, the Bundeswehr should continue to grow, by 20,000 men and women by 2031. In addition, the troops are more present in the media than ever due to Russia’s war of aggression. However, the reality is not looking good at the moment. Defense Minister Pistorius has a simple explanation for this.
The number of applicants for the Bundeswehr continues to fall. From January to the end of May 2023, significantly fewer men and women applied for the military profession than in the same period last year, as reported by “Spiegel”, citing a Bundeswehr spokesman. According to an internal table by the military department, 23,414 women and men had applied by the end of May this year. This is a decrease of around seven percent compared to the corresponding period in 2022.
The Bundeswehr spokesman attributed the declining numbers primarily to the effects of demographic and social change and the ever-worsening situation on the labor market.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is visiting the Bundeswehr Career Center in Stuttgart today, Wednesday. There he wants to find out more about recruitment for the Bundeswehr. According to the ministry, the Bundeswehr presents itself nationwide as an employer with 16 career centers. As part of the Bundeswehr’s personnel recruitment organization, the career centers are intended to help attract people to a career in the Bundeswehr.
Pistorius wants to make applications easier
At the beginning of June, Pistorius questioned whether the goal of increasing the number of soldiers in the Bundeswehr to 203,000 by 2031 could be met. There are currently around 183,000 soldiers in the Bundeswehr.
Pistorius attributed the slump in the number of applicants to the corona pandemic. The topic of personnel has the highest priority alongside the material. In order to recruit more servicewomen and men, the application process should be improved, for example: Applicants must be given clearer information more quickly and bindingly as to when they can start, so that they don’t immediately lose interest again. In addition, more emphasis should be placed on women and people with a migration background.