Frankfurt (Germany) (AFP) – Despite a year of searching, previous stints at big automotive suppliers and sending out about 50 applications, German software engineer Max Peil is still looking for a job.
Issued on: 12/07/2026 - 06:10
4 min Reading time
Trained in computer vision, a critical part of autonomous and intelligent driving systems, Peil could once have expected to sail into a role at one of Germany's industrial giants.But years of stagnant growth in Europe's biggest economy and increasingly fierce Chinese competition are now taking their toll on young engineers like Peil."Usually you just get rejected straight up," the 30-year-old told AFP in the western city of Frankfurt. "I've had one interview. It was the same with my friends, one has sent over 60 applications."'Golden age' is goneKnown the world over for cutting-edge technology and innovative design, Germany's car industry, powered by exports, has so far managed to avoid the drastic decline seen in countries like Britain, France and Italy.But Chinese carmakers like BYD and Xpeng have eaten into German carmakers' sales in the world's largest auto market, leading to painful adjustments at home.
Germany has a long history of automotive engineering © THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP
