Double changes: New faces at the top of the BW employment agency

Double changes: New faces at the top of the BW employment agency

On July 1, 2025, there will be an exciting change in the management team of the Baden-Württemberg regional directorate of the Federal Employment Agency (BA). With a dual leadership of fresh faces, not only will the management position be filled, but a clear message will also be sent for equality in leadership positions. Government Gazette reports that Sabine Schultheiss has been appointed the new operational managing director. This makes her the second woman to hold this position, after Martina Musati has held the office since February 2022.

At the same time, Mathias Auch takes on the role of managing director for internal service. As a native of Baden-Württemberg, Auch brings with him valuable experience from his long-term career in the BA, which most recently led him to the top position at the Konstanz-Ravensburg employment agency. Schultheiss, on the other hand, has her roots in Hesse, but spent most of her professional career in Bavaria. Among other things, she was deputy managing director of the Munich job center and headed the Nuremberg job center.

The challenges on the labor market

While the new managing directors are preparing for their tasks, the job market in Baden-Württemberg is faced with challenges. How the Minister for Economy, Labor and Tourism, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, reports that unemployment fell slightly in March 2025. However, at 4.5%, it is still at a worryingly high level, especially given a 13.9% increase in youth unemployment compared to last year. A total of 291,948 people were registered as unemployed.

Although the number of vacancies has increased to 75,259, this shows a decline in the number of advertised positions in certain sectors compared to the previous year. Export-dependent sectors such as mechanical engineering and the automotive industry in particular are plagued by uncertainty. These factors, combined with the new challenges for the BA's managing directors, show that there is still a lot to do.

Equality in management

The appointment of Sabine Schultheiss to the top is a sign of equality in an area where women are traditionally underrepresented. Loud Statistics Baden-Württemberg Only around 24.9% of management positions in Baden-Württemberg are held by women. This speaks to the need to promote women in leadership roles and create a better balance.

Of the 119,000 female managers, 359,000 are men. The situation shows that there is still a long way to go to achieve equality in the world of work. The upheaval in the regional directorate could play a role in this development. Ultimately, the success of the new managing directors is also directly linked to the opportunity to develop and retain skilled workers, especially at a time when education and qualifications are crucial for entering professional life.

The next few weeks and months will therefore be exciting as both Schultheiss and Auch will attempt to put their expertise into action and successfully navigate the region through the challenges of the labor market.