Immigrants are more reliable than local

Forty-three percent of newly arrived foreigners aged between 15 and 65 boast a professional qualification in a trade, something that only 26 percent of Germans have.

The study, conducted by researchers Herbert Brucker labor market for the Bertelsmann Foundation, shows the high unemployment in other European countries encourage skilled workers to Germany.

Even so, economists from the Institute of Employment Research (IAB) maintains that Germany still see immigrants as less qualified than themselves. In fact, the face of the country's foreign population has, they say, changed radically over the last decade.

In 2012 alone, more than one million people arrived in Germany, the Federal Statistical Office revealed. This is the highest number since 1995 and among them, a large number of highly qualified.

Regions of the country, such as small towns, suffer from a lack of skilled tradesman and vocationally qualified workers can look to Germany to support the new population, the study said.

"Germany needs more qualified immigrants more than ever," said the chairman at the Bertelsmann Foundation Jörg Dräger, adding that that includes people from countries non-EU.