Working in Jena
Six reasons to choose Jena
1. Wide variety of businesses from skilled trades to hi-tech industries
ZEISS, JENOPTIK, SCHOTT – these big names from Jena are well-known throughout the world. As well as being home to major international companies, the city also boasts many small and mid-sized businesses, including emerging startups whose products and services are among the best in the world. They offer flat hierarchies, great scope for individual development and flexible ways of working. The many diverse companies located in Jena are geared for growth, and offer secure working conditions, even in times of crisis.
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2. Strong business and scientific sectors
Jena excles in all areas – from craftsmanship to high-tech, and from traditional optics and photonics to innovative health technologies and the growing digital economy.
The close ties between research and business is Jena’s key to success as a high-tech business location. In 2022, 261 patents per 100,000 inhabitants were registered here, almsot six times more than the national average. Around 4,500 scientists work at the two universities and the various institutes of the Max Planck, Leibniz and Fraunhofer research societies.
Industries3. Exciting work opportunities
Jena is an employment hub. Between 2009 and 2019, the economically active population rose by 23% to a total of 57,455 fully employed. In a survey, 75% of businesses in Jena said they thought the city would be at least as well positioned after the pandemic as before, if not even better. In terms of pay, Jena comes top in the whole of Thuringia. The average gross salary is over 40.000 euro, according to the Thuringia Landesamt für Statistik. Actual rates of pay obviously vary according to job, sector, and individual experience.
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4. Exceptionally family friendly
Jena loves families – and families love Jena. ‘Family friendly’ is a byword here. A wide range of childcare is available in nurseries and creches, as well as via individually tailored, family friendly arrangements offered by many companies in Jena to enable the demands of family and working life to be reconciled. These include working from home, flexible work hours, subsidised childcare costs, workplace nurseries, welcome-baby payments, parent-child workplaces, and many other initiatives. More than 60 partners are involved in the Jena Bündnis für Familie (families federation), and more fathers in Jena take their parental leave than anywhere else in Germany.
Family5. The top place for teamworking and an outstanding city for studying for (further) qualifications
Many of Jena’s companies have an open business culture with flat hierarchies, and great appreciation for a relaxed working atmosphere with mutual respect and co-operation. This includes, for example, group leisure and teambuilding activities such as company or team runs, triathlons or dragon boat racing. The Jena business economy, with its many small and mid-sized companies, ensures that the focus is on opportunities for individual development and gaining further professional qualifications. These include the many opportunities for training/apprenticeships as well as advanced education and training that are available in the local area.
Education and Training
6. Employers committed to open-minded intercultural awareness
Businesses in Jena are cosmopolitan and welcome team members from all corners of the globe. With an export quota of around 70 per cent in the manufacturing industries, they are part of an international value-creation chain, firmly anchored in the wider world. Many companies are aware of how cultural diversity in their teams fosters innovation and competitive advantage. To highlight and encourage examples such as these, the Jena i-work-Business Award is presented every year in recognition of intercultural diversity in Jena’s businesses and establishments.
i-work-Business Award