This city in the northwestern part of Lower Saxony is a major center for business, science, and higher education. With a population of about 180,000, Oldenburg is large enough to offer a wide range of career opportunities, yet small enough to ensure short commutes and a high quality of life.
A dynamic job market
The job market in Oldenburg has grown rapidly over the past few decades. At the end of 2024, there were approximately 94,000 employees subject to social security contributions at their place of work. At the same time, Oldenburg’s business landscape is diverse: More than 7,500 companies are registered in the city, and about 96 percent of them employ up to 50 people. In other words, in addition to large employers, there are also numerous opportunities at small and medium-sized businesses.
The outlook is also positive, as confirmed by the Zukunftsatlas® published by the economic research institute Prognos. Every three years, Prognos assesses the future opportunities and risks for all 400 districts and independent cities in Germany. Oldenburg was most recently rated as a region with strong economic performance and very high dynamism.
Key industries and strong employers
Anyone looking to launch a career in Oldenburg will find interesting opportunities in a variety of industries. The most important economic sectors include: energy and the energy industry, IT and digitalization, health and medicine, as well as trade and business-related services. Industry, construction, and the skilled trades are also major employers. The service sector is particularly strong, accounting for about 80 percent of the economy.
The close ties between business, academia, and research particularly foster the development of new technologies and create additional job opportunities for highly qualified specialists. For example, the Oldenburg Technology Park offers young companies in future-oriented industries good opportunities to get started.
Among the larger companies and institutions in the area are the energy service provider EWE, the photo service provider CEWE, the IT consulting firm BTC, the Oldenburgische Landesbank, and the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. The business landscape is complemented by numerous small and medium-sized enterprises and innovative startups.
Where specialists are in high demand
In Oldenburg, approximately 5,500 people were employed in the healthcare sector in mid-2025. Of these, approximately 770 employees were foreign nationals. International specialists are therefore already an important part of the regional labor market. And the demand remains high.
Technical professions also offer good prospects, and positions are being filled quickly. In the Oldenburg labor market region, for example, according to the Federal Employment Agency’s latest specialist radar, it takes about three months to fill a position in mechanical engineering and industrial engineering.
Other sectors where demand is high include skilled trades and construction, as well as education and social services. There are also good job prospects in the IT and energy sectors, depending on one's qualifications. But: Good to very good German language skills are generally required for all professions.
A location with a promising future
Oldenburg is known for its diverse economic structure, innovative companies, and a job market where specialists are in high demand. At the same time, the city offers an environment where work and personal life can be well balanced.
Through the Oldenburg Specialist Initiative (FIO), the city of Oldenburg has been sending a strong signal about securing specialists since 2015. One goal of the initiative, which is made up of business representatives, is to help companies in the region recruit specialists from abroad.
When it comes to professional integration, foreign specialists receive support through counseling services provided by the IQ Network of Lower Saxony and the Welcome Center of the Oldenburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In short: Anyone looking to build a career in Germany should keep an eye on Oldenburg.