The BuWiK (National Report on Early Career Researchers 2025) is a report published once every 4 years, providing statistical data and current research findings on academic qualifications and career paths and prospects in Germany. It forms an important basis for the discussion and further development of the political and legal frameworks. It also addresses issues of university development, university management and education policy up to EU level and provides important orientation information for young academics.

With focus on postdocs in Germany we analysed the BuWiK 2025 and summarized some key information.

 

Definition of Postdocs and Data Sources

The report refers to researchers in the early postdoc phase (R2) following the completion of their PhD. It differentiates this group from more established researchers (advanced postdoc phase or establishment phase R3), such as junior professors or tenure-track candidates. Data for the report come from multiple sources, including data from official statistics, longitudinal surveys, administrative university data, and integrated employment statistics. Despite improved data collection, some gaps remain, particularly regarding diversity metrics and long-term career tracking (section A4 and A5).

 

Employment Conditions and Career Prospects

One of the central issues discussed in the report is the precarious nature of postdoc employment. The high prevalence of fixed-term contracts remains a major concern, 90 % of postdocs have a fixed-term contract in academia, whereas over 70 % obtain a permanent contract in the private sector after their dissertation. The small fraction of permanent academic positions leads to uncertainties about the career progression. In conclusion seven years after receiving their doctorate, a mere 24% of doctorate holders remain in the science system. The average contractually agreed weekly working time are 37 hours, but the average number of hours actually worked per week is 45, resulting in an average of 8 more hours worked per week (section A3, B1, B2 and B5).

However, the unemployment rate among for persons with a doctorate is low, only 1-2% of PhD holders between the 3rd and 7th year after their dissertation are unemployed. This suggests that while job stability in academia remains a challenge, PhD graduates generally find employment opportunities (section B4).

 

Structural Changes and Tenure-Track Expansion

BuWiK 2025 outlines a shift in academic career structures, with an increasing emphasis on tenure-track positions as an alternative to traditional habilitation, which declined in importance as the final pre-qualification before the first appointment. The report acknowledges recent efforts by universities and policymakers to expand tenure-track opportunities, but progress remains slow and uneven across institutions. Additionally, new career paths outside traditional professorships, such as Lecturer and Researcher positions, are being discussed as potential solutions to improve job stability (section C).

 

Diversity and Work-Life Balance

Gender disparities in academic career progression persist, with women facing higher dropout rates from academia compared to men (leaky-pipeline effect). The report also addresses work-life balance issues, emphasizing that long working hours, job insecurity and mobility expectations negatively impact mental health and family planning among postdocs. Institutions are increasingly recognizing the need for better support structures, such as childcare facilities and family-friendly policies (section A3 and B6).

 

Internationalisation

In recent years, the internationalisation of academia in Germany has gained significant momentum. The proportion of international academic staff at universities rose from 11% in 2015 to 15% in 2022, while non-university research institutions saw an increase from 20% to 30%. Many international researchers come from the European Union (35%), with India and China representing the largest non-European groups. Approximately one-third of German doctoral holders (R2–R4) have spent at least three months abroad for research, and international research stays are increasingly recognized as crucial for academic career development. The current internationalisation strategy emphasizes the importance of global collaboration in addressing global challenges such as climate change and demographic shifts but also considers research security in Germany as well as considering the advantages and disadvantages of international collaboration more carefully when dealing with autocratic states (section A3 and B7).

 

Critical Aspects and Missing Topics

Although BuWiK 2025 provides comprehensive insights, there are some key aspects that remain underexplored, mainly due to a lack of statistical data as basis for analysis:

• Lack of long-term career tracking: While it discusses tenure-track and professorship paths, the report does not sufficiently address the long-term career trajectories of postdocs who leave academia or remain in academia on alternative permanent positions nor gives information on career aspirations.
• Differentiation between R2 and R3 researchers: Working conditions, contract duration, funding opportunities, task distribution and needed support systems differ for researchers in the R2 and R3 phase, however the report seldomly differentiates between researchers after the doctorate and before professorship.
• Inadequate data on international postdocs: The report acknowledges an increase of international researcher and investigates researcher mobility but lacks in-depth analysis of challenges for researchers from abroad working in Germany.
• Lack of data for postdocs: While the report gives information about contract durations it lacks information regarding funding (employment contract, scholarship) and further working conditions such as pursued tasks (research, teaching, administration, supervision)

 

Conclusion

The findings of BuWiK 2025 highlight the urgent need for structural reforms to enhance the working and employment conditions of postdocs in Germany. While tenure-track positions and alternative academic roles offer some promising solutions, job insecurity continues to be a major concern. Addressing these challenges will require coordinated efforts from policymakers, universities, and funding organizations to create a more sustainable and attractive career path in academia.

We deeply appreciate the thorough work behind BuWiK 2025 and the publication of an English version of the key findings, which signals a commitment to supporting the growing number of international researchers.

 

You can find the full report here (in German) or the key findings here (in English).