Nearly half of public-sector employers in Germany include wording in their job advertisements that encourages applications from people with disabilities. The findings come from a study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), published on 27 October 2026 in report IAB-Kurzbericht 20/2026.
- Almost 50% of job advertisements published by public administration bodies and public-law institutions explicitly state that applicants with severe disabilities will be given preference if equally qualified.
- In the private sector, such wording is far less common and depends strongly on company size: large corporations use inclusive phrasing significantly more often than small and medium-sized enterprises.
- The study is based on a systematic evaluation of job listings on the federal job portal BA-Jobsuche operated by the Federal Employment Agency (BA).
Differences between the public and private sectors
IAB researchers Nicole Gürtzgen, Laura Pohlan, and Franka Vetter examined how requirements under German labor and social law are reflected in job postings submitted by employers to the Federal Employment Agency’s job portal.
The evaluation revealed marked differences depending on ownership structure and company size:
- Public sector: public authorities, municipal institutions, and public-law corporations lead in inclusive recruitment. Nearly half of their job advertisements contain explicit references to considering applicants with severe disabilities.
- Private sector: commercial enterprises use such references considerably less often. Within the private economy, larger companies with established human resources departments include inclusive statements much more frequently than small businesses, where they remain rare.
Legal requirements and incentives
The participation of people with severe disabilities in working life is governed by Book IX of the German Social Code (SGB IX), which combines incentives with binding legal obligations:
- Employment quota and compensatory levy: employers with 20 or more workplaces are legally required to fill at least 5% of their positions with severely disabled employees. Employers that do not meet this quota must pay a monthly compensatory levy (Ausgleichsabgabe).
- Specific obligations for public employers: under Section 165 of SGB IX, public employers are additionally required to invite severely disabled applicants to a job interview if they meet the professional qualifications for the position.
The authors note that explicitly addressing applicants with disabilities in job advertisements helps lower barriers to applying and encourages greater participation in the labor market.
Information sources
- IAB: Inklusive Formulierungen in Stellenanzeigen – öffentliche Arbeitgeber sind Vorreiter (IAB-Kurzbericht 20/2026) Source publication date: 27 October 2026.