Saxony-Anhalt's Bold Plan to Save Jobs Amid Industrial Upheaval

IG Metall Calls for Statewide Job-to-Job Network in Saxony-Anhalt to Secure Industrial Transition

The IG Metall union for Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt is advocating for the establishment of a statewide job-to-job network in Saxony-Anhalt. The goal must be to shape industrial transformation in a way that allows workers to transition from existing roles into new, high-quality jobs before unemployment arises and valuable expertise is lost. While some regions already have initial labor market initiatives in place, these fragmented approaches now need to be expanded into a permanently functional, statewide network that enables seamless career transitions and strengthens the region's industrial resilience.

There is no denying that the industrial landscape faces major challenges. Saxony-Anhalt is confronting profound structural shifts, with decarbonization, digitalization, geopolitical realignments, and demographic change all driving simultaneous upheavals in the labor market. Before discussing job-to-job transitions, however, the priority must be to exhaust all in-house solutions—through upskilling, reassigning tasks, internal transfers, or innovative workplace development—to retain experience, team structures, and specialized knowledge. Works councils and company leadership share responsibility here, supported by collective bargaining agreements negotiated by unions and employer associations. These proven mechanisms help safeguard employment and ensure socially equitable change. Where in-house options reach their limits, complementary pathways must be created to provide workers with stable, qualification-matched career prospects.

Some sectors and companies are grappling with overcapacity, while others desperately seek skilled professionals. Without coordinated transition mechanisms, unnecessary disruptions in career paths and a loss of industrial know-how loom large. A systematically structured job-to-job network would strategically address this mismatch. Businesses facing impending workforce surpluses could be proactively linked with those in need of skilled labor, allowing employees to transition directly into new roles—without gaps in employment and with minimal retraining.

"It makes no economic sense to push skilled workers into unemployment only to scramble for them months later," said Thorsten Gröger, IG Metall's regional director. "A modern industrial hub doesn't manage the loss of expertise—it organizes transitions. Labor market policy must kick in before layoffs are issued. Those who want to secure industrial strength must facilitate transitions before disruptions occur."

Such a network would not create parallel structures but instead intelligently integrate existing tools. Employment agencies, worker representation, continuing education programs, and regional economic development initiatives would need to be systematically aligned. Success hinges on equal participation from employers, unions, the state government, chambers of commerce, and educational providers. In Lower Saxony, a similar project was launched at the start of the year by IG Metall, the employers' association NiedersachsenMetall, and the SPD-led state government.

A preventive approach not only secures individual career paths but also stabilizes regional value chains and bolsters the industrial base's resilience. "Every successful job-to-job placement preserves value creation, experience, and innovative capacity within the state. Losing skilled workers means losing future viability—it's that simple," Gröger emphasized. The union will therefore engage in discussions with the state government, employer associations, and the regional employment agency to explore the conditions for establishing such a network. The aim is a permanent structure that accompanies industrial transformation in a socially responsible manner—keeping skilled labor firmly rooted in the region.