Federal government only fills just under 40% of the announced jobs in coal mining areas

Of the 5000 new jobs announced by the federal government in authorities and research institutions in the coal-mining regions, 2094 have been filled so far. This is according to an answer from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to a question from the Left Party in the Bundestag. There are currently concrete plans for 3531 positions. From the Left's point of view, this is a sobering result.

The background to this is the planned coal phase-out. It has been agreed for 2038, but the traffic light party had planned to "ideally" bring the date forward to 2030. However, the obligation to create at least 5,000 new, additional jobs in federal authorities or other institutions by the end of 2028 dates back to the previous government's Coal Region Investment Act.

Competence centers and authorities

A federal-state coordination committee decided on various new institutions, mostly branch offices of existing authorities or research institutes. These include, for example, a branch office of the Federal Office for Water Management and Export Control in Weißwasser and a central location of the Federal Network Agency in Cottbus.

The list also includes a national monitoring center for biodiversity of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the establishment of a competence center for climate protection in energy-intensive industries, a competence center for regional development, a competence center for municipal heat transition and much more. Most of the institutions are located in the coal-mining regions of eastern Germany, some also in the Rhineland coalfields.

"Simply disappointing"

The Parliamentary Secretary of the Left Party in the Bundestag, Christian Görke, criticized that the federal government was a long way from its goal of creating 5,000 additional jobs. "At this rate, there will be no "coal phase-out ideally by 2030", as the traffic lights are still propagating," said the Left Party politician.

"As with the rail expansion in the coal regions, the government is also moving at a crawl with the current findings," he added. "I expect structural policy in the coalfields to really become a top priority for the federal government. The 2094 real jobs created are simply sobering and disappointing."